Single cell atlas of the aging mouse trachea

The airways conduct gases to and from the gas-exchanging alveoli of the lung and are the site of age-related diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and bronchogenic carcinoma. Here we set out to study the effects of aging on the cellular composition and gene expression of murine airway. We present a comprehensive single-cell RNA-sequencing atlas of tracheas from young (2 month) and aged (24 month) mice, comprising diverse populations of cells, including epithelial, endothelial, immune, fibroblast, and cartilage cells. Overall design: To study the effects of aging on cellular composition and gene expression of mouse airway, tracheas from two young (2 month) and two aged (24 month) animals were subjected to single cell dissociation and 3'-droplet based sequencing, without targeting or enrichment of specific cell types.