What is this collection about?

Ageing arises from interconnected molecular processes that drive functional decline across tissues. Cellular senescence is a central component, now understood as a dynamic state involving transcriptional, metabolic and epigenetic remodelling rather than simple growth arrest. While transient senescence supports development and repair, its accumulation contributes to age-related tissue dysfunction and altered cell–cell communication.

We are now inviting studies that elucidate the mechanistic basis of senescence and its connections to organismal ageing, including its links to genomic instability, mitochondrial dysfunction, proteostasis, and immune interactions, as well as its heterogeneity and dynamics across tissues. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

·       Molecular pathways controlling senescence induction and maintenance

·       Links between senescence and core mechanisms of ageing

·       Heterogeneity and temporal dynamics of senescent cells

·       The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and tissue-level effects

·       Interactions between senescence and immune function during ageing

·       Roles of senescence in tissue homeostasis and stem cell dynamics

·       Systems and comparative approaches to senescence and ageing

·       Emerging technologies to study senescence

We will mainly consider original research Articles, but Reviews, Mini-Reviews and Perspectives are also welcome.

Why submit to a collection?

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by In-House Editors who are experts in their fields and supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores, and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.

This Collection welcomes submissions from all authors – and not by invitation only – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Communications Biology more generally. See our editorial process page for more details. All manuscripts published in the collection are hosted on a dedicated nature portfolio portal, giving articles high visibility beyond the journal they are published in.

Who is involved?

Communications Biology is edited by both in-house professional editors and Editorial Board Members.

Our editors work closely together to ensure the quality of our published papers and consistency in author experience.

How can I submit my paper?

Visit the Collection page to find out more about this collection and submit your article.