Cell and Organ Transplantology. 2025; 13(2):e2025132183.
DOI: 10.22494/cot.v13-2.183
Optimized protocol for identifying senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF) as markers of cellular senescence in blood samples
Tsupykov O.1,2
, Kyryk V.2,3, Ustymenko A.2,3, Skarzhevskyi O.2, Parkhomenko O.2
- 1Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
- 2M. D. Strazhesko National Scientific Center of Cardiology, Clinical and Regenerative Medicine, National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
- 3D. F. Chebotarev State Institute of Gerontology, National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
Abstract
Senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF) are distinct nuclear structures formed in senescent cells and involved in the permanent suppression of genes promoting cell proliferation. SAHF are composed of repressive chromatin marks and specific proteins. Their detection serves as a reliable hallmark of cellular senescence and holds potential clinical applications in aging research, cancer biology, regenerative medicine, and disease monitoring – including use as a marker of high cardiovascular risk in patients who have experienced acute cardiac conditions. This article reviews the current methods for SAHF detection in cultured cells and introduces an optimized protocol for identifying SAHF-positive cells in peripheral blood samples, which may facilitate non-invasive monitoring of senescence in vivo.
Key words: SAHF; cellular senescence; heterochromatin; DAPI; fluorescence microscopy
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Tsupykov O, Kyryk V, Ustymenko A, Skarzhevskyi O, Parkhomenko O. Optimized protocol for identifying senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF) as markers of cellular senescence in blood samples. Cell Organ Transpl. 2025; 13(2):e2025132183. doi: 10.22494/cot.v13-2.183
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