Cited by 129Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceNutrition and Health in AgingAdipose Tissue and Metabolism

Cellular senescence biomarker p16INK4a+ cell burden in thigh adipose is associated with poor physical function in older women

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Justice, Jamie N, Gregory, Heather, Tchkonia, Tamar, LeBrasseur, Nathan K, Kirkland, James L, Kritchevsky, Stephen B, Nicklas, Barbara J·2018·The Journals of Gerontology: Series A

Abstract

Background: Ample evidence implicates cellular senescence as a contributor to frailty and functional decline in rodents, but considerable effort remains to translate these findings to human aging. Methods: We quantified senescence biomarker p16INK4a-expressing cells in thigh adipose tissue obtained from older women previously enrolled in a 5-month resistance training intervention, with or without caloric restriction (RT ± CR, n = 11 baseline, 8 pre-post-intervention pairs). Women in this subsample were older (72.9 ± 3.4 y) and overweight/obese (body mass index: 30.6 ± 2.4 kg/m2). p16INK4a+ cells were identified from 12 to 20 random visual fields/sample at 20× magnification (immunohistochemical, nuclear staining) and were present in all adipose samples. Results: Cross-sectional associations were observed between p16INK4a+ cell burden and physical function, including grip strength (r = -0.74), 400-m walk time (r = 0.74), 4-m gait speed (r = -0.73), and self-perceived mobility (r = -0.78) (p ≤ .05). These relationships remained significant after independent adjustments for age and adiposity (p ≤ .05). p16INK4a+ cell abundance was lower following the intervention (pre: 5.47 ± 3.4%, post: 2.17 ± 1.1% count p16INK4a+ cells, p ≤ .05). Conclusions: These results provide proof-of-concept that p16INK4a+ cells in thigh adipose are associated with physical function, and may be sensitive to change with RT ± CR in overweight/obese older women.

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Crossref · 10.1093/gerona/glx134

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  • The biomarker analyses included cytokines, chemo-attractants, MMPs, TIMPs, adhesion molecules, growth factors, binding proteins, and senescence markers measured in CD3 positive T lymphocytes.

    “Blood biomarkers included cytokines and chemo-attractants, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs), adhesion molecules, growth factors, and their binding proteins.20,23,29 Expression of senescence markers (e.g., ARF, p16, p21, p16INK4a)41, 42, 43, 44 in CD3 positive T lymphocytes was measured by rt-PCR.”

    From A pilot study of senolytics to improve cognition and mobility in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease (2025) · cites this paper as [20]

    The Quantification of Adipose p16INK4a section describes measuring a senescence marker, but in thigh adipose biopsies by immunohistochemical staining, not in CD3-positive T lymphocytes by rt-PCR. The Discussion mentions T-cell p16INK4a expression as a finding from earlier work and proposes combining it with adipose measurements in future studies. The blood-biomarker categories appear in a separately cited sentence and are not attributed to this source. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Other studies have shown reductions in p16INK4a in adipose tissue following senolytic treatment.

    “Other studies have shown reductions in p16INK4a in adipose tissue following senolytic treatment.20,30”

    From A pilot study of senolytics to improve cognition and mobility in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease (2025) · cites this paper as [20]

    The Discussion reports that senolytic drugs reduce p16INK4a-expressing cells, but does not specify that those reductions were measured in adipose tissue. This paper measured adipose p16INK4a+ cells before and after resistance training with or without caloric restriction, not senolytic treatment (Participants and Study Design; Discussion). (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Exercise can effectively reduce the appearance of age-related markers, such as p16, so as to achieve the effect of delaying aging.

    “These evidence suggest that exercise can effectively reduce the appearance of age-related markers, such as p16, so as to achieve the effect of delaying aging.”

    From Inflammation and aging: signaling pathways and intervention therapies (2023) · cites this paper as [334]

    The Abstract reports that p16INK4a-positive cell abundance in thigh adipose was lower after five months of resistance training with or without caloric restriction in a small sample of older women. The intervention-results section says physical function was unchanged, and the paper describes the biomarker finding as preliminary; it does not establish that exercise alone caused the reduction or delayed aging. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • Resistance training for five months in older overweight or obese women reduced the number of P16-expressing cells in their thigh fat tissue.

    “Correspondingly, resistance training for five months in older overweight or obese women reduced the number of P16-expressing cells in their thigh fat tissue.334”

    From Inflammation and aging: signaling pathways and intervention therapies (2023) · cites this paper as [334]

    The Abstract and ‘Thigh Adipose p16INK4a+ Cell Burden Before and After RT ± CR’ section report lower p16-expressing cell abundance after five months in older overweight or obese women. The analysis combined resistance-training-only and resistance-training-plus-caloric-restriction participants, so it does not establish that resistance training alone caused the reduction. Page numbers were not provided. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Senescent cells and their SASPs contribute to the pathogenesis of many other age-related diseases.

    “There is growing evidence that senescent cells and their SASPs contribute to the pathogenesis of many other age-related diseases as well”

    From Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies senescent cerebromicrovascular endothelial cells in the aged mouse brain (2020) · cites this paper as Justice et al. 2018

    The opening section describes senescent-cell accumulation as potentially harmful to health and function, and the Discussion reports that adipose p16INK4a+ cells express inflammatory SASP products. But the paper does not establish that senescent cells and their SASPs cause the pathogenesis of many age-related diseases; it says the role of SASP remains uncertain, and its human findings concern an association with physical function in older women. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [9]9. Tchkonia T, Giorgadze N, Pirtskhalava T, Thomou T, Villaret A, Bouloumie A, et al. Cellular senescence and inflammation in obesity. Obesity. 2009;17:S57.

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Authors
Justice, J. N., Gregory, H., Tchkonia, T., LeBrasseur, N. K., Kirkland, J. L., Kritchevsky, S. B., & Nicklas, B. J.
Affiliations
  • Wake Forest University Health Sciences (US)
  • Mayo Clinic (US)
Corresponding author
Justice, Jamie N
Venue
The Journals of Gerontology: Series A
Published
2017-06-27
Volume
73
Issue
7
Pages
939-945
ISSN
  • 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
  • 1758-535X
OpenAlex
W2731074566
Cited by
129
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 9
FWCI
8.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Wake Forest Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (P30-AG21332)
  • National Institutes of Health (R01AG020583 [BJN], T32-AG33534 [SKB, BJN; JNJ trainee], AG52958 [NKL], R37AG13925 [JLK])
  • Noaber and Glenn Foundations
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
Keywords
cellular senescence, p16INK4a, senescence biomarkers, physical function, older women, resistance training, caloric restriction, frailty, grip strength, walking speed, mobility (physical function), obesity, aging
MeSH terms
Frailty, Physical Functional Performance, Adipose Tissue, Aged, Aging, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Obesity, Thigh, Biomarkers, Body Mass Index, Frail Elderly, Cellular Senescence, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16, Caloric Restriction, Adiposity, Overweight, Resistance Training

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