US Scientists Uncover New Way to Track Cells Linked to Aging Diseases

Washington, September 27, 2026 : American scientists have developed a way to track cells linked to age-related diseases. The approach offers a non-invasive means of identifying and studying cells that contribute to disorders such as cancer, tissue degeneration, and inflammatory diseases.

According to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), these cells, known as senescent cells, stop dividing and growing but, for reasons not fully understood, do not die as aging cells normally would. Instead, they undergo substantial changes in shape, metabolic processes, and gene activity.

Experts noted that previous methods of studying these cells resulted in their destruction. The MIT team combined Raman microscopy, an analytical technique that reveals the biochemical composition of cells without damaging them, with single-cell gene-expression analysis. This allowed them to identify unique "barcodes" associated with senescent cells.

The experiments were conducted on cells from laboratory mice, and the researchers are now working to adapt the method for use with human tissue.

Jeon Woong Kang of MIT, a senior author of the study, said it is conceivable that an endoscope could one day be developed to look inside the body and identify senescent cells.

Kang added that aging is not simply a pathological condition. While cellular senescence contributes to sagging skin and muscle weakness in older adults, it also plays useful and critical roles in embryonic development and tissue regeneration.

The findings, researchers said, help scientists pursue a more comprehensive approach to understanding aging and identifying senescent cells, which play a role in a wide range of both normal physiological conditions and pathological ones.

Source: QNA