A single-cell transcriptomic atlas characterizes ageing tissues in the mouse

Ageing is characterized by a progressive loss of physiological integrity, leading to impaired function and increased vulnerability to death¹. Despite rapid advances over recent years, many of the molecular and cellular processes that underlie the progressive loss of healthy physiology are poorly understood². To gain a better insight into these processes, here we generate a single-cell transcriptomic atlas across the lifespan of Mus musculus that includes data from 23 tissues and organs. We found cell-specific changes occurring across multiple cell types and organs, as well as age-related changes in the cellular composition of different organs. Using single-cell transcriptomic data, we assessed cell-type-specific manifestations of different hallmarks of ageing—such as senescence³, genomic instability⁴ and changes in the immune system². This transcriptomic atlas—which we denote Tabula Muris Senis, or ‘Mouse Ageing Cell Atlas’—provides molecular information about how the most important hallmarks of ageing are reflected in a broad range of tissues and cell types.