Stiffening Symphony of Aging: How Senescent Osteocytes Lose Their Elastic Rhythm

Senescent osteocytes are key contributors to age-related bone loss and fragility; however, the impact of mechanobiological changes in these cells remains poorly understood. This study provides a novel analysis of these changes in primary osteocytes following irradiation-induced senescence. By integrating sub-cellular mechanical measurements with gene expression analyses, we identified significant, time-dependent alterations in the mechanical properties of these cells. Increases in SA-β-Gal activity and p16Ink4a expression levels confirmed the senescence status post-irradiation. Key findings include a time-dependent increase in cytoskeletal Young’s modulus and altered viscoelastic properties of the plasma membrane, affecting the contractility of primary osteocytes. Additionally, we observed a significant increase in Sclerostin (Sost) expression 21 days post-irradiation. These mechanobiological changes may impair osteocyte mechanosensation and mechanotransduction, contributing to bone fragility. This is the first study to time-map senescence-associated mechanical changes in the osteocyte cytoskeleton. Our findings highlight the potential of biophysical markers as indicators of cellular senescence, providing more specificity than traditional, variable biomolecular markers. We believe these results support biomechanical stimulation as a potential therapeutic strategy to rejuvenate aging osteocytes and enhance bone health.