MIT finds a non-invasive way to detect aging cells — Asharq Al-Awsat

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a non-invasive way to detect and study cells associated with age-related disorders, including cancer, tissue degeneration and inflammatory diseases. As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, the method was tested on mouse cells, and researchers are now working to adapt it for human tissues.

Biochemical “barcodes” of cells

These are senescent cells — cells that have stopped dividing and growing but have not died. Their shape, metabolic processes and gene activity change. Previous methods of studying such cells involved destroying them.

The team used Raman microscopy, which makes it possible to determine a cell’s biochemical composition without damaging it, and also analyzed the genetic activity of individual cells. This made it possible to identify unique “barcodes” of senescent cells. The study results were published in the journal Nature Aging.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Prospects for use in humans

One of the study’s senior authors, Jong Woon Kang of MIT, suggested that an endoscope capable of detecting cellular aging inside the body may emerge in the future. The study’s lead researcher, Peter So, noted that senescence is not solely a pathological condition.

The scientists emphasized that senescent cells can contribute to skin sagging and muscle weakness in old age, while also playing an important role in embryonic development and tissue regeneration. The work is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s Cellular Senescence Network initiative, aimed at a comprehensive study of cellular aging.