A Deep‐Learning Based Biomarker of Systemic Cellular Senescence Burden to Predict Mortality and Health Outcomes

ABSTRACT

The accumulation of senescent cells is a recognized hallmark of biological aging and is associated with the onset of multiple chronic medical conditions. Senescent cells exhibit a distinct secretory profile, known as the senescence‐associated secretory phenotype ( SASP ), which can propagate cellular senescence to neighboring and distant tissues. Measuring SASP factors in blood serves as a practical proxy for cellular senescence burden and may help track disease states and intervention outcomes. We developed and validated a composite SASP Score by integrating large‐scale population proteomics data with a semi‐supervised deep learning framework. The analytical workflow included: (1) selection of biologically curated SASP proteins; (2) development of a Guided autoencoder with Transformer ( GAET ) model using data from the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project ( UKB ‐ PPP ); (3) internal evaluation and association analyses within the UK Biobank; and (4) external validation and longitudinal assessment in an independent randomized clinical trial cohort. The deep learning‐based SASP Score was a strong, independent predictor of mortality risk and incident serious, chronic medical conditions (e.g., dementia, COPD , myocardial infarction, stroke). In an independent cohort, multimodal exercise significantly changed the SASP Score trajectory over 18 months. Our findings support the potential of a deep learning‐derived SASP Score as a biomarker for systemic cellular senescence burden. Our statistical approach can offer enhanced interpretability and cross‐platform utility, providing a valuable tool for aging research and the evaluation of geroscience‐guided interventions.