Unmasking “zombie cells” in aging tissue with an AI-powered barcode
Tracking down senescent cells, which accumulate as we age, could help diagnose age-related disorders and guide researchers working on new treatments.
Aging cells have the ability to enter a state of senescence, where they cease dividing but remain alive. These senescent cells can contribute to various age-related disorders such as cancer, tissue degeneration, and inflammatory diseases. MIT researchers have developed a noninvasive method to detect biomarkers of senescence, utilizing Raman microscopy combined with gene expression data at a single-cell resolution.
This technique has the potential to identify unique "barcodes" for quickly recognizing senescent cells. The study was conducted on mouse cells, but the researchers are currently working on adapting it for human tissue. The discovery could lead to better diagnostic and treatment methods for age-related diseases.
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