created on Nov. 21, 2012, 4:41 p.m. by Hevok & updated on Nov. 24, 2012, 8:26 p.m. by Hevok
Cellular senescence is the exhaustion of cell division potential [Hayflick & Moorhead].
Senescent cells are present in aged tissues taken from variety of species, including mice, baboons and humans [Herbig et al. 2006; Jeyapalan et al. 2007; Wang et al 2009]. In fact tissues from aged aged animals are a mixture of senescent cells interspersed with normal cells (old, perhaps age-compromised cells but not yet senescent) [Bahar et al. 2006; Herbig et al. 2006].
Senescence can be triggered by several stressors that result in molecular damage or simple by exhaustion of replicative potential [Adams 2009].
Cellular senescence is characterized by biochemical events that occur with the cell leading to growth arrest as well as loss of specialized cellular functions [Campisi et al. 2002]. Senescent cells cannot divide, their ability to synthesize proteins is reduced, and the DNA repair system is attenuated [Hasty et al. 2003].
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Herbig, U., Ferreira, M., Condel, L., Carey, D. & Sedivy, J.M. (2006) Cellular senescence in aging primates. Science 311, 1257.
Jeyapalan, J.C., Ferreira, M., Sedivy, J.M. & Herbig, U. (2007) Accumulation of senescent cells in mitotic tissue of aging primates. Mech. Ageing Dev. 128, 36–44.
Wang, C., Jurk, D., Maddick, M., Nelson, G., Martin-Ruiz, C. & von Zglinicki, T. (2009) DNA damage response and cellular senescence in tissues of aging mice. Aging Cell 8, 311–323.
Bahar, R., Hartmann, C.H., Rodriguez, K.A., Denny, A.D., Busuttil, R.A., Dolle, M.E., Calder, R.B., Chisholm, G.B., Pollock, B.H., Klein, C.A. & Vijg, J. (2006) Increased cell-to-cell variation in gene expression in ageing mouse heart. Nature 441, 1011–1014.
Herbig, U., Ferreira, M., Condel, L., Carey, D. & Sedivy, J.M. (2006) Cellular senescence in aging primates. Science 311, 1257.
Adams, P.D. (2009) Healing and hurting: molecular mechanisms, functions, and pathologies of cellular senescence. Mol. Cell 36, 2–14.
Campisi J. Cancer and aging: yin, yang, and p53. Sci Aging Knowledge Environ. 2002;2002:pe1.
Hasty P, Campisi J, Hoeijmakers J, van Steeg H, Vijg J. Aging and genome maintenance: lessons from the mouse? Science. 2003;299:1355–1359.
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