Open AccessDetecting senescence: a new method for an old pigment
Author(s) -
Salmonowicz Hanna,
Passos João F.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
aging cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1474-9726
pISSN - 1474-9718
DOI - 10.1111/acel.12580
Subject(s) - lipofuscin , senescence , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , cellular senescence , biomarker , cell , identification (biology) , staining , pigment , cellular aging , computational biology , biochemistry , dna , genetics , gene , chemistry , phenotype , telomere , botany , organic chemistry
Summary Cellular senescence is a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest induced by different types of cellular stresses. The field of senescence has made significant advances in the understanding of many of the mechanisms governing this phenomenon; however, a universal biomarker that unambiguously distinguishes senescent from proliferating cells has not been found. In this issue of Aging Cell , Evangelou and colleagues developed a sensitive method for identification of senescent cells in different types of biological material based on the detection of lipofuscin using an analogue of Sudan Black B ( SBB ) histochemical dye coupled with biotin, which they named GL 13. The authors propose that this method is more sensitive and versatile than using SBB alone. Lipofuscin, a nondegradable oxidation product of lipids, proteins and metals, is found in senescent cells. Detection of lipofuscin using GL 13 staining may be a more feasible method than others currently used for identification of senescent cells both in cell culture and tissues.