Cited by 509Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsAging and Gerontology Research

Expression of p16 INK4a in peripheral blood T‐cells is a biomarker of human aging

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Liu, Yan, Sanoff, Hanna K., Cho, Hyunsoon, Burd, Christin E., Torrice, Chad, Ibrahim, Joseph G., Thomas, Nancy E., Sharpless, Norman E.·2009·Aging Cell

Abstract

Summary: Expression of the p16 INK4a tumor suppressor sharply increases with age in most mammalian tissues, and contributes to an age‐induced functional decline of certain self‐renewing compartments. These observations have suggested that p16 INK4a expression could be a biomarker of mammalian aging. To translate this notion to human use, we determined p16 INK4a expression in cellular fractions of human whole blood, and found highest expression in peripheral blood T‐lymphocytes (PBTL). We then measured INK4/ARF transcript expression in PBTL from two independent cohorts of healthy humans (170 donors total), and analyzed their relationship with donor characteristics. Expression of p16 INK4a , but not other INK4/ARF transcripts, appeared to exponentially increase with donor chronologic age. Importantly, p16 INK4a expression did not independently correlate with gender or body‐mass index, but was significantly associated with tobacco use and physical inactivity. In addition, p16 INK4a expression was associated with plasma interleukin‐6 concentration, a marker of human frailty. These data suggest that p16 INK4a expression in PBTL is an easily measured, peripheral blood biomarker of molecular age.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2009.00489.x

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  • Elimination of senescent cells alleviates age-related pathologies in BubR1 and Ercc1 mutant mice, but does not restore their lifespan to that of wild-type animals.

    “For example, while the elimination of senescent cells alleviates age-related pathologies in BubR1 and Ercc1 mutant mice, it does not restore their lifespan to that of wild-type animals86,102.”

    From Guidelines for minimal information on cellular senescence experimentation in vivo (2024) · cites this paper as [102]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) reports that inactivating p16 partially rescues several age-related phenotypes in a progeroid mouse strain. It does not say that senescent cells were eliminated, address Ercc1 mutant mice, or compare the mutants’ lifespan with that of wild-type animals. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • ATTAC was not induced in peripheral blood T lymphocytes that robustly engage endogenous p16Ink4a with aging without concomitant expression of multiple senescence markers.

    “ATTAC was also not induced in peripheral blood T lymphocytes that robustly engage endogenous p16 Ink4a with aging without concomitant expression of multiple senescence markers 2 , 13 (Extended Data Fig. 2h), further implying that transgene induction is quite selective for senescence.”

    From Naturally occurring p16Ink4a-positive cells shorten healthy lifespan (2016) · cites this paper as [13]

    The section ‘Increased p16 INK4a expression is associated with chronological age’ reports that p16 INK4a expression in peripheral blood T lymphocytes increases with age (page unavailable). It does not address ATTAC induction or establish whether those cells express multiple senescence markers, so it supports only the aging-related p16 portion of the attributed claim. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Circulating CD3+ T cells expressing p16INK4a was identified as one of the first markers linked to senescent cells that correlates with chronological ageing.

    “circulating CD3+ T cells expressing p16INK4a was identified as one the first markers linked to senescent cells that correlates with chronological ageing,44,57”

    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 [44]

    The ‘Expression of p16INK4a in human peripheral blood cells’ section identifies CD3+ T cells as the blood fraction with the highest p16INK4a expression. The ‘Increased p16INK4a expression is associated with chronological age’ section reports a strong correlation with donor age, and the Introduction links p16INK4a to aging-related loss of replicative capacity. The paper does not establish the historical claim that this was one of the first markers linked to senescent cells. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • T cell p16 levels increase with physical inactivity.

    “T cell p16 levels have been demonstrated to increase with age20, physical inactivity20 and smoking20”
  • T cell p16 levels are associated with plasma IL-6 levels.

    “to be associated with plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels (a marker of human frailty)20”

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [18]18. Helgadottir A, Thorleifsson G, Magnusson KP, Gretarsdottir S, Stein- thorsdottir V, Manolescu A, Jones GT, Rinkel GJ, Blankensteijn JD, Ronkainen A, Jaaskelainen JE, Kyo Y, Lenk GM, Sakalihasan N, Kos- tulas K, Gottsater A, Flex A, Stefansson H, Hansen T, Andersen G, Weinsheimer S, Borch-Johnsen K, Jorgensen T, Shah SH, Quyyumi AA, Granger CB, Reilly MP, Austin H, Levey AI, Vaccarino V, Pals- dottir E, Walters GB, Jonsdottir T, Snorradottir S, Magnusdottir D, Gudmundsson G, Ferrell RE, Sveinbjornsdottir S, Hernesniemi J, Niemela M, Limet R, Andersen K, Sigurdsson G, Benediktsson R, Verhoeven EL, Teijink JA, Grobbee DE, Rader DJ, Collier DA, Peder- sen O, Pola R, Hillert J, Lindblad B, Valdimarsson EM, Magnadottir p16 INK4a in human aging, Y. Liu et al. ª 2009 The Authors Journal compilation ª Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2009
  2. [47]47. Scott LJ, Mohlke KL, Bonnycastle LL, Willer CJ, Li Y, Duren WL, Erdos MR, Stringham HM, Chines PS, Jackson AU, Prokunina-Olsson L, Ding CJ, Swift AJ, Narisu N, Hu T, Pruim R, Xiao R, Li XY, Conneely KN, p16 INK4a in human aging, Y. Liu et al. ª 2009 The Authors Journal compilation ª Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2009

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Authors
Liu, Y., Sanoff, H. K., Cho, H., Burd, C. E., Torrice, C., Ibrahim, J. G., Thomas, N. E., & Sharpless, N. E.
Affiliations
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Corresponding author
Sharpless, Norman E.
Venue
Aging Cell
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2009-07-21
Volume
8
Issue
4
Pages
439-448
ISSN
  • 1474-9718 (ISSN-L)
  • 1474-9726
OpenAlex
W2038998835
Cited by
509
References
61
Citations by year
2026: 41 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 63 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 17
FWCI
11.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Aging Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • Burroughs Wellcome Fund
  • Ellison Medical Foundation
  • Wellcome Trust
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01ag024379-15, ES014635, AG024379)
  • National Institute on Aging (AG024379, R01-AG024379)
  • National Cancer Institute (T32CA009156, R01CA112243, CA009156-34)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM070335)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P01ES014635, ES014635, T32ES007126)
  • National Center for Research Resources (RR023248, K12RR023248)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords
p16INK4a, aging biomarkers, peripheral blood T cells, tobacco use, physical inactivity, interleukin-6, frailty, tumor suppressor protein expression
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Smoking, T-Lymphocytes, Transcription, Genetic, Biomarkers, Exercise, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16, ADP-Ribosylation Factors

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