Type 2 diabetes is partly characterized by decreased β-cell mass and function which have been linked to cellular senescence. Despite a low basal proliferative rate of adult β-cells, they can respond to growth stimuli, but this proliferative capacity decreases with age and correlates with increased expression of senescence effector, p16Ink4a.

Compositional and transcriptional changes in the hematopoietic system have been used as biomarkers of immunosenescence and aging. Here, researchers use single-cell RNA-sequencing to study the aging peripheral blood in mice and characterize the changes in cell-type composition and transcriptional profiles associated with age.