Open AccessSenescent cells: A new Achilles’ heel to exploit for cancer medicine?
Author(s) -
Zhang Boyi,
Lam Eric W.F.,
Sun Yu
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
aging cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1474-9726
pISSN - 1474-9718
DOI - 10.1111/acel.12875
Subject(s) - biology , cancer , metastasis , senescence , disease , autophagy , heel , cancer research , cancer cell , phenotype , wound healing , bioinformatics , immunology , medicine , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , apoptosis , paleontology , genetics , gene , biochemistry
Cellular senescence is a typical tumor‐suppressive mechanism that restricts the proliferation of premalignant cells. However, mounting evidence suggests that senescent cells, which also persist in vivo , can promote the incidence of aging‐related disorders principally via the senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP), among which cancer is particularly devastating. Despite the beneficial effects of the SASP on certain physiological events such as wound healing and tissue repair, more studies have demonstrated that senescent cells can substantially contribute to pathological conditions and accelerate disease exacerbation, particularly cancer resistance, relapse and metastasis. To limit the detrimental properties while retaining the beneficial aspects of senescent cells, research advancements that support screening, design and optimization of anti‐aging therapeutic agents are in rapid progress in the setting of prospective development of clinical strategies, which together represent a new wave of efforts to control human malignancies or mitigate degenerative complications.