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Merck
  • Murine mesenchymal cells that express elevated levels of the CDK inhibitor p16(Ink4a) in vivo are not necessarily senescent.

Murine mesenchymal cells that express elevated levels of the CDK inhibitor p16(Ink4a) in vivo are not necessarily senescent.

Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) (2017-06-27)
David Frescas, Brandon M Hall, Evguenia Strom, Lauren P Virtuoso, Mahima Gupta, Anatoli S Gleiberman, Elena Rydkina, Vitaly Balan, Slavoljub Vujcic, Olga B Chernova, Andrei V Gudkov
PMID28650766
ABSTRACT

Age-related health decline has been attributed to the accumulation of senescent cells recognized in vivo by p16(Ink4a) expression. The pharmacological elimination of p16(Ink4a)-positive cells from the tissues of mice was shown to extend a healthy lifespan. Here, we describe a population of mesenchymal cells isolated from mice that are highly p16(INK4a)-positive are proficient in proliferation but lack other properties of cellular senescence. These data, along with earlier reports on p16(Ink4a)-positive macrophages, indicate that p16(Ink4a)-positive and senescent cell populations only partially intersect, therefore, extending the list of potential cellular targets for anti- aging therapies.