AgingSOS® Senescence Panel

While senescence can be measured in cells and tissues by a variety of biomarkers and methodologies, assessing senescence burden in the whole human body is extremely difficult due to inability to gain access to relevant tissues. An indirect way to gain such information is through analyses of molecules secreted or released by different tissues into blood circulation. Fortunately, senescent cell do secrete large numbers and quantities of proteins and lipids. The most specific marker for senescence discovered so far is the senescence associated β-galactosidase, abbreviated as SA β-gal, a lysosomal enzyme that functions under specific conditions. Jinfiniti developed a test that can measure SA β-gal activity in human serum. SA β-gal levels from the Jinfiniti test are usually below 750 units defined by Jinfiniti Precision Medicine (JPM U) in young and healthy individuals. The levels can be increased to 1500-6000 JPM U in patients with cancer and various other disease conditions, suggesting that the biomarker reflects senescence levels in pathological sites. We have also shown that cervical cancer patients with high SA β-gal respond poorly to radiation therapy and are associated with poor survival.

Many other inflammatory cytokines are also secreted by senescent cells. However, the types of cytokines and other proteins are extremely variable in different senescent cells. This panel includes four important inflammatory cytokines believed to be associated with senescence and play critical functions in human health. In individuals with high SA β-gal, it is important to know the inflammatory cytokine profile.