In cancer and aging, interconnected roles for apoptosis and cellular senescence
Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - 17:21
in Health & Medicine
A common feature of cancer and aging is cells' reduced ability to respond to stress-induced damage to DNA or cellular structures. Specifically, changes occur in the protective processes of apoptosis and cellular senescence, whose roles in cancer and aging are thoroughly reviewed by Cerella et al. in Current Drug Targets (Bentham Science Publishers). The authors outline the evidence that these processes are regulated by separate but intertwined pathways. Understanding the precise mechanisms, they conclude, could lead to combination therapies for cancer and aging able to harness the benefits of both apoptosis and senescence, while limiting the drawbacks of either.