Is cell senescence in culture comparable to that in vivo?
Senescence does not equal cell death, but is simply an arrested state in which the cell still remains viable (1). It has been shown throughout the literature that this state corresponds with an altered cell cycle profile different from contact inhibition or damage-induced arrest (2). This corresponds with an enlarged cell size, altered gene expression (3, 4), and the pH-dependent expression of β-galactosidase (5). This has been shown both in cultured cells and in animal models (6, 7). 


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