Cited by 164Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic DiseasesAdipose Tissue and MetabolismPeroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors

Targeting p21Cip1 highly expressing cells in adipose tissue alleviates insulin resistance in obesity

Open access
Wang, Lichao, Wang, Binsheng, Gasek, Nathan S., Zhou, Yueying, Cohn, Rachel L., Martin, Dominique E., Zuo, Wulin, Flynn, William F. +18 more·2022·Cell Metabolism

Abstract

Insulin resistance is a pathological state often associated with obesity, representing a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Limited mechanism-based strategies exist to alleviate insulin resistance. Here, using single-cell transcriptomics, we identify a small, critically important, but previously unexamined cell population, p21 Cip1 highly expressing (p21 high) cells, which accumulate in adipose tissue with obesity. By leveraging a p21-Cre mouse model, we demonstrate that intermittent clearance of p21 high cells can both prevent and alleviate insulin resistance in obese mice. Exclusive inactivation of the NF-κB pathway within p21 high cells, without killing them, attenuates insulin resistance. Moreover, fat transplantation experiments establish that p21 high cells within fat are sufficient to cause insulin resistance in vivo. Importantly, a senolytic cocktail, dasatinib plus quercetin, eliminates p21 high cells in human fat ex vivo and mitigates insulin resistance following xenotransplantation into immuno-deficient mice. Our findings lay the foundation for pursuing the targeting of p21 high cells as a new therapy to alleviate insulin resistance.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cmet.2021.11.002

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  • Senescent cells in human and mouse adipose tissue express CDKN2A and CDKN1A, have higher SA-β-gal activity, DNA damage foci, proliferation arrest (MKI67), and SASP factors including IL-6, CXCL8, IL-1β, TNF, CCL2, SERPINE1, MMP3, and MMP12.

    “Senescent cells in both human and mouse adipose tissue have been characterized by expression of CDKN2A and CDKN1A, higher SA-β-gal activity, DNA damage (γH2AX) foci and arrest of cell proliferation (MKI67), and by expression of SASP factors including IL-6, CXCL8 (also known as IL-8), IL-1β, TNF, CCL2, SERPINE1, MMP3 and MMP12 (refs. 119–122).”

    From SenNet recommendations for detecting senescent cells in different tissues (2024) · cites this paper as [122]

    The Introduction and Discussion describe p21-high cells in mouse adipose tissue as having higher SA-β-gal activity, reduced proliferation and a SASP; the paper also examines γH2AX-positive telomere-associated foci. It treats p21-high and p16-high cells as partly distinct populations, rather than establishing that senescent cells express both markers. Although it uses human adipose tissue for transplantation, the cited passages do not establish the full marker profile in human tissue or substantiate the entire listed SASP panel or MKI67 specifically. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • Cdkn1ahigh and Cdkn2ahigh cells exist as two distinct cell populations in adipose tissue, indicating heterogeneity and complexity of senescent cell populations.

    “Importantly, Cdkn1ahigh and Cdkn2ahigh cells exist as two distinct cell populations122,125, indicating the heterogeneity and complexity of senescent cell populations in adipose tissue.”

    From SenNet recommendations for detecting senescent cells in different tissues (2024) · cites this paper as [122]

    The Results section reports that p21-high (Cdkn1a-high) and p16-high (Cdkn2a-high) cells were distinguishable in mouse visceral adipose tissue after 10 months of high-fat feeding, despite some overlap. The Discussion calls them distinct populations, but explicitly limits that conclusion to at least the context of obesity; the citing sentence does not retain that qualifier. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The accumulation of p21+ cells has been identified in aged tissues in vivo, and clearance of this population in rodents has been shown to both extend lifespan and improve healthspan.

    “The accumulation of p21 positive (p21+) cells has been identified in aged tissues in vivo, and clearance of this population in rodents has been shown to both extend lifespan and improve healthspan [7,8,9].”

    From Fluorescence-Guided Spatial Mapping of p21-Expressing Senescent Cells in Aged Liver at Single-Cell Resolution (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

    The Introduction says senescent cells accumulate with aging, but does not establish that the accumulating cells are specifically p21-positive. The Results and Discussion report that clearing p21-high cells improves metabolic function in obese mice; they do not report extended lifespan or improved healthspan in aged rodents. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Decondensation occurs in essentially all centromeric satellites in vitro, but only a fraction of centromeric satellites undergo unwinding in vivo.

    “Moreover, while decondensation occurs in essentially all centromeric satellites in vitro24, only a fraction of centromeric satellites undergo unwinding in vivo25,26 (Fig. 1 F).”

    From Guidelines for minimal information on cellular senescence experimentation in vivo (2024) · cites this paper as [26]

    The STAR METHODS passages describe telomere staining and other assays in adipose tissue, not centromeric satellites. Searches for centromeric-satellite unwinding in vivo and decondensation in vitro found no passage addressing the claim; page numbers were not supplied. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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  • Senescence markers beyond p16 include p21, p19, uPAR, and GPNMB.

    “Studies have begun to reveal the remarkable heterogeneity of cellular senescence in different tissues, highlighting the importance of cellular senescence markers beyond p16 – including Cdkn1a (p21) [7–10], Cdkn2d (p19) [11], uPAR [12], and glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) [13] – and emphasizing the urgent need for a better understanding of senescent cell heterogeneity.”

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Authors
Wang, L., Wang, B., Gasek, N. S., Zhou, Y., Cohn, R. L., Martin, D. E., Zuo, W., Flynn, W. F., Guo, C., Jellison, E. R., Kim, T., Prata, L. G. P. L., Palmer, A. K., Li, M., Inman, C. L., Barber, L. S., Al-Naggar, I. M. A., Zhou, Y., Du, W., Kshitiz, Kuchel, G. A., Meves, A., Tchkonia, T., Kirkland, J. L., Robson, P., & Xu, M.
Affiliations
  • University of Connecticut (US)
  • Central South University (CN)
  • The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine (US)
  • UConn Health (US)
  • Mayo Clinic (US)
Corresponding author
Xu, Ming
Venue
Cell Metabolism
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-01
Volume
34
Issue
1
Pages
75-89.e8
ISSN
1550-4131 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3216561293
Cited by
163
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 27
FWCI
19.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
erratum (2022-01-04)
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • The Mouseion at the JAXlibrary (Jackson Laboratory) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • American Foundation for Aging Research
  • University of Connecticut (T32HG010463)
  • National Institutes of Health (K08CA215105, P01AG062413, P30AG067988, R33AG061456, R37AG013925)
  • Noaber Foundation
  • NIA (AG063528, AG066679, AG068860)
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
Keywords
p21, insulin resistance, obesity, adipose tissue, senolytic therapy, dasatinib, quercetin, NF-κB signaling, type 2 diabetes, fat transplantation, single-cell transcriptomics
MeSH terms
Adipose Tissue, Animals, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Insulin Resistance, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Obesity, Cellular Senescence, Mice, Diet, High-Fat

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