An inducible -Cre mouse model to monitor and manipulate -highly-expressing senescent cells

The role of senescent cells has been implicated in various tissue dysfunction associated with aging, obesity, and other pathological conditions. Currently, most transgenic mouse models only target -highly-expressing ( ) cells. Here, we generated a -Cre mouse model, containing a promoter driving inducible Cre, enabling us to examine -highly-expressing ( ) cells, a previously unexplored cell population exhibiting several characteristics typical of senescent cells. By crossing -Cre mice with different floxed mice, we managed to monitor, sort, image, eliminate, or modulate cells . We showed cells can be induced by various conditions, and percentages of cells varied from 1.5 to 10% across different tissues in 23-month-old mice. Intermittent clearance of cells improved physical function in 23-month-old mice. Our study demonstrates that the -Cre mouse model is a valuable and powerful tool for studying cells to further understand the biology of senescent cells.