Cited by 562Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsBone Metabolism and Diseases

Identification of senescent cells in the bone microenvironment

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Farr, Joshua N, Fraser, Daniel G, Wang, Haitao, Jaehn, Katharina, Ogrodnik, Mikolaj B, Weivoda, Megan M, Drake, Matthew T, Tchkonia, Tamara +6 more·2016·Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

Abstract

Cellular senescence is a fundamental mechanism by which cells remain metabolically active yet cease dividing and undergo distinct phenotypic alterations, including upregulation of p16Ink4a, profound secretome changes, telomere shortening, and decondensation of pericentromeric satellite DNA. Because senescent cells accumulate in multiple tissues with aging, these cells and the dysfunctional factors they secrete, termed the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), are increasingly recognized as promising therapeutic targets to prevent age-related degenerative pathologies, including osteoporosis. However, the cell type(s) within the bone microenvironment that undergoes senescence with aging in vivo has remained poorly understood, largely because previous studies have focused on senescence in cultured cells. Thus in young (age 6 months) and old (age 24 months) mice, we measured senescence and SASP markers in vivo in highly enriched cell populations, all rapidly isolated from bone/marrow without in vitro culture. In both females and males, p16Ink4a expression by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (rt-qPCR) was significantly higher with aging in B cells, T cells, myeloid cells, osteoblast progenitors, osteoblasts, and osteocytes. Further, in vivo quantification of senescence-associated distension of satellites (SADS), ie, large-scale unraveling of pericentromeric satellite DNA, revealed significantly more senescent osteocytes in old compared with young bone cortices (11% versus 2%, p < 0.001). In addition, primary osteocytes from old mice had sixfold more (p < 0.001) telomere dysfunction-induced foci (TIFs) than osteocytes from young mice. Corresponding with the age-associated accumulation of senescent osteocytes was significantly higher expression of multiple SASP markers in osteocytes from old versus young mice, several of which also showed dramatic age-associated upregulation in myeloid cells. These data show that with aging, a subset of cells of various lineages within the bone microenvironment become senescent, although senescent myeloid cells and senescent osteocytes predominantly develop the SASP. Given the critical roles of osteocytes in orchestrating bone remodeling, our findings suggest that senescent osteocytes and their SASP may contribute to age-related bone loss. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

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Crossref · 10.1002/jbmr.2892

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  • The paper states that p16 is a key trigger of cellular senescence and has been proposed as a biomarker of mammalian aging.

    “p16 is a key trigger of cellular senescence16, and its expression increases with aging in several rodent and primate tissues17–19, suggesting its potential use as a biomarker of mammalian aging.”

    From Effects of intermittent senolytic therapy on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women: a phase 2 randomized controlled trial (2024) · cites this paper as [17]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) calls p16Ink4a a principal effector of senescence and says its expression increases with age in several rodent and human tissues. The Results (page unavailable) call it a senescence biomarker and report higher expression in older mice and women. The paper does not describe p16 as a trigger of senescence or explicitly propose it as a biomarker of mammalian aging. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • Levels of DDR markers and TAFs increase during ageing in different mammalian tissues.

    “Indeed, the levels of DDR markers and TAFs increase during ageing in different mammalian tissues.”

    From Telomere dysfunction in ageing and age-related diseases (2022) · cites this paper as [35]

    The Results (page unavailable) report substantially more telomere dysfunction-induced foci (TIFs) in osteocytes from old mice than in those from young mice, and higher p53 expression in some aged bone-cell populations. The paper does not establish that DDR markers and telomere-associated foci increase across different mammalian tissues; its findings are centered on the mouse bone microenvironment. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Mice, despite long telomeres and ubiquitous telomerase expression, show an age-dependent increase in dysfunctional telomeres in both proliferating and non-proliferating tissues.

    “Mice, despite having long telomeres and ubiquitous telomerase expression, show an age-dependent increase in dysfunctional telomeres in both proliferating and non-proliferating tissues20,34–37.”

    From Telomere dysfunction in ageing and age-related diseases (2022) · cites this paper as [35]

    The Results report substantially more telomere dysfunction-induced foci in osteocytes from old mice than in those from young mice, supporting an age-related increase in this non-proliferating cell type. The paper does not establish the claimed increase across both proliferating and non-proliferating tissues, or state the premises about long mouse telomeres and ubiquitous telomerase expression. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In aged humans, needle biopsies of bone and bone marrow analysed by qPCR showed increased CDKN2A and CDKN1A, and SASP increased with age.

    “Needle biopsies containing tissue of the bone and bone marrow analysed by qPCR revealed increased levels of CDKN2A and CDKN1A, and the SASP increased with age93.”

    From SenNet recommendations for detecting senescent cells in different tissues (2024) · cites this paper as [93]

    The Results (page not provided) report that rt-qPCR of bone needle biopsies from older versus younger women found significantly higher p16Ink4a (CDKN2A) and p21 (CDKN1A) expression. Twelve SASP factors were also higher, but the 36-factor panel did not show a statistically significant increase as a group; the authors call the human SASP findings preliminary. The claim overstates that part as a general increase in the SASP. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In human bone biopsies, older women with mean age 78 years show upregulated mRNA expression of CDKN2A, CDKN1A and senescence-associated chemokines CCL2, CCL3, CCL8 and CSF1 compared with younger women.

    “In human bone biopsies, older women (mean age 78 years) show upregulated mRNA expression of CDKN2A, CDKN1A and senescence-associated chemokines (for example, CCL2, CCL3, CCL8 and CSF1)93 compared with younger women.”

    From SenNet recommendations for detecting senescent cells in different tissues (2024) · cites this paper as [93]

    Materials and Methods reports bone biopsies from older women with a mean age of 78 years, and Results reports higher p16Ink4a (CDKN2A) and p21 (CDKN1A) expression than in younger women. Results also reports 12 elevated SASP factors, but the passages do not identify CCL2, CCL3, CCL8 and CSF1 as elevated in the human biopsies; the paper calls those factor findings preliminary because the group-wide analysis was not statistically significant. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Authors
Farr, J. N., Fraser, D. G., Wang, H., Jaehn, K., Ogrodnik, M. B., Weivoda, M. M., Drake, M. T., Tchkonia, T., LeBrasseur, N. K., Kirkland, J. L., Bonewald, L. F., Pignolo, R. J., Monroe, D. G., & Khosla, S.
Affiliations
  • Mayo Clinic (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • Department of Oral BiologyUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City, School of DentistryKansas CityMOUSA
  • Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging and Endocrine Research UnitMayo Clinic College of MedicineRochesterMNUSA
  • University of Missouri–Kansas City (US)
Corresponding author
  • Farr, Joshua N
  • Khosla, Sundeep
Venue
Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
Published
2016-06-24
Volume
31
Issue
11
Pages
1920-1929
ISSN
  • 0884-0431 (ISSN-L)
  • 1523-4681
OpenAlex
W2467271588
Cited by
562
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 56 · 2025: 77 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 77 · 2022: 64 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 61 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 2
FWCI
22.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Newcastle University
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Bone Metabolism and Diseases
Keywords
cellular senescence, senescence-associated secretory phenotype, bone microenvironment, osteocytes, osteoblasts, myeloid cells, p16INK4a, telomere dysfunction, bone aging, osteoporosis, age-related bone loss
MeSH terms
Animals, Bone and Bones, Cells, Cultured, DNA, Satellite, Female, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Osteoblasts, Osteocytes, Phenotype, Biomarkers, Cellular Senescence, Cell Lineage, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16, Myeloid Cells, Cellular Microenvironment

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