Gene expression of unperturbed young and aged mouse bladders

Aging has multifaceted effects on the immune system, but how aging affects tissue-specific immunity is not well-defined. Bladder diseases characterized by chronic inflammation are highly prevalent in older women, but mechanisms by which aging promotes these pathologies remain unknown. Tissue transcriptomics of unperturbed, young, and aged bladders identified a highly altered immune landscape as a fundamental feature of the aging female bladder. Detailed mapping of immune cells using single cell RNA- sequencing revealed novel subsets of macrophages and dendritic cells and unique changes to the immune repertoire in the aged bladder. B and T cells are highly enriched in aged bladders and spontaneously form organized bladder tertiary lymphoid tissues (bTLTs). 4 young (3 mo) and 4 aged (18 mo) C57BL6J mouse bladders