Genome and Chromatin Mechanisms of Cellular Senescence in Aging-Related Diseases

Cellular senescence is a core hallmark of aging and a key contributor to many age-associated conditions, including cancer, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Changes in DNA sequence–linked programs and chromatin-level regulation shape how cells enter senescence, maintain stable arrest, adopt inflammatory phenotypes, or bypass senescence under stress. Despite major progress, many of the controlling mechanisms remain unclear across cell types, tissues, and disease contexts. A clearer understanding is critical for identifying robust biomarkers and enabling targeted strategies that support healthy aging.This Research Topic brings together studies that define the genome- and chromatin-based mechanisms that control senescent cell fate and function, and that connect these mechanisms to aging-related pathology. We welcome contributions spanning fundamental biology, systems-level profiling, and translational work, including studies that improve how senescent states are measured, compared, and targeted across models.Submissions may address, but are not limited to, regulatory pathways and transcriptional programs that govern senescence induction and stability; chromatin organization and remodeling in senescent cells (including DNA methylation, histone marks, and higher-order chromatin structure); RNA-mediated regulation of senescence and age-associated phenotypes (including non-coding RNAs); the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and its upstream control mechanisms in tissue and systemic aging; single-cell and multi-omics approaches that map senescent cell heterogeneity, lineage relationships, and clonal dynamics in aging tissues; mechanistic links between senescence and specific diseases; and intervention strategies that modulate these control layers, including senolytics, senomorphics, chromatin-targeting therapies, and genome editing approaches.We welcome Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, and Perspectives. This Topic aims to foster an integrated, mechanism-driven view of how genome regulation and chromatin state shape cellular senescence and contribute to aging-related diseases, with the goal of informing new diagnostic and therapeutic directions. Topic editors: Chengcheng Wei, Jun Wen Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78125/genome-and-chromatin-mechanisms-of-cellular-senescence-in-aging-related-diseases