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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Measuring Single-Cell Aging with an Imaging-based Biomarker of Chromatin and Epigenetic Aging
Published on: January 30, 2026
Changes in colour of different human tissues as a marker of age
Alexander Pilin1, Frantisek Pudil, Vladimír Bencko
1Institute of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General Teaching Hospital in Prague, Studnickova 4, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic. pilin@lf1.cuni.cz
Abstract:
This study deals with age estimation based on colour changes of human tissue from the intervertebral discs, Achilles tendon and rib cartilage. The investigated colour changes are the result of the accumulation of non-enzymatic browning products in the tissue. Samples of excised tissues were photographed with a digital camera and the pictures were evaluated using the image analysis processor Lucia G 4.11 processor. The values of the intensities of the RGB channels (MeanRed, Mean Green, MeanBlue) and parameters from the IHS system (MeanSaturation, HueTypical, HueVariation, BrightVariation and MeanBrightness) were evaluated. The results confirm that colour changes of some tissues depend on ageing and are a good tool for age estimation.
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