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© 2005 Oxford University Press
NEWS |
Cancer's Big Sleep: Senescence May Be Potential Target for Cancer Therapies
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Clinicians and scientists agree that the best cancer cell is a dead cancer cell. Yet, even with current treatments, some cancer cells seem to elude apoptosis, the programmed cell death process intrinsic to normal cells. Scientists say that the ability to escape apoptosis likely represents one of the hallmarks of every tumor cell. But what if, instead of being sent to a programmed death, cancer cells could be shuttled to senescence, a permanent "sleep" where the cells would remain alive but be rendered incapable of dividing?
The study of senescence has already provided critical insights into tumor biology. Now scientists are asking whether anticancer treatments should target senescence rather than apoptosis. Would this strategy permanently abate cancer, and could it effectively be applied in cancer therapies?
Countdown to Senescence
Just as people have a limited lifespan, cells age and die as well. This
cellular aging mechanism is called replicative senescence. As cells age,
The Cancer Neighborhood
Targeting Senescence
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