Measuring Cell Dry Weight to Track Brain Immune Cell Cleanup of Protein Build-Up in Aging

Cellular dry mass, measured by holotomography, is associated with impaired phagocytosis in senescent microglia.

• Senescent microglia show significant biochemical changes that affect their ability to clear amyloid-β (Aβ), linked to neurodegenerative diseases.
• Hydrogen peroxide treatment successfully induced microglial senescence, confirmed by specific protein expression and Raman spectroscopy.
• A strong correlation exists between reduced dry mass and decreased phagocytic capacity in senescent microglia.
• Senescent microglia exposed to Aβ have lower dry mass, smaller cell size, and larger nuclear size compared to control microglia.

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