A View of Cellular Senescence in Cancer

Cellular senescence is a double-edged sword in the matter of cancer. A cancer cell turned senescent, and thus entered a state of growth arrest, is not a cancer cell that continues to replicate. It secretes pro-growth, pro-inflammatory signals that draw the attention of the immune system. This can be beneficial, helping to defeat a cancer, particularly in the early stages. After a certain point, however, too much cellular senescence aids the cancer in further growth. While it seems clear that senolytic treatments to remove lingering senescent cells are wholly beneficial after a cancer is defeated, it isn't clear that the same is true of senolytic treatment conducted before or during cancer therapy. As this paper notes, whether clearance of senescent cells during cancer therapy is beneficial or harmful may vary from patient to patient, even for the same type of cancer. Clinical evidence of cellular senescence in cancer patients has long been underestimated, in part due to the difficult detection, since currently no specific and universal markers for senescent cells exist. Historically, cellular senescence was primarily considered as an endogenous tumor suppressor mechanism halting the proliferation of damaged cells which are at risk of malignant transformation, thereby protecting against cancer. However, during the last two decades, a more nuanced view on the involvement of cellular senescence in tumorigenesis and response to therapy has emerged. Here, we provid...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs