Organismal ageing results from interlinked molecular changes in multiple organs over time. The study of ageing at the molecular level is complicated by varying decay characteristics and kinetics—both between and within organs—driven by intrinsic and extracellular factors. Emerging single-cell omics methods allow for molecular and spatial profiling of cells, and probing of regulatory states and cell-fate determination, thus providing promising tools for unravelling the heterogeneous process of ageing and making it amenable to intervention. These new strategies are enabled by advances in genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic technologies. Combined with methods for proteome and metabolome analysis, single-cell techniques provide multidimensional, integrated data with unprecedented detail and throughput. Here, we provide an overview of the current state, and perspectives on the future, of this emerging field. We discuss how single-cell approaches can advance understanding of mechanisms underlying organismal ageing and aid in the development of interventions for ageing and ageing-associated diseases.

随着时间的推移，多个器官中相互关联的分子变化是机体衰老的结果。由于内在和细胞外因素驱动的器官之间和器官内的不同衰变特征和动力学，分子水平的衰老研究变得复杂。新兴的单细胞组学方法允许对细胞进行分子和空间分析，探索调节状态和确定细胞命运，从而为解开衰老的异质过程并使其易于干预提供了有希望的工具。这些新策略得益于基因组、表观基因组和转录组技术的进步。结合蛋白质组和代谢组分析方法，单细胞技术提供了具有前所未有的细节和吞吐量的多维、集成数据。这里，我们概述了这一新兴领域的现状以及对未来的展望。我们讨论了单细胞方法如何促进对有机体衰老机制的理解，并帮助开发针对衰老和衰老相关疾病的干预措施。