title: Cellular senescence: putting the paradoxes in perspective.
abstract: Cellular senescence arrests the proliferation of potential cancer cells, and so is a potent tumor suppressive mechanism, akin to apoptosis. Or is it? Why did cells evolve an anti-cancer mechanism that arrests, rather than kills, would-be tumor cells? Recent discoveries that senescent cells secrete growth factors, proteases and cytokines provide a shifting view--from senescence as a cell autonomous suppressor of tumorigenesis to senescence as a means to mobilize the systemic and local tissue milieu for repair. In some instances, this mobilization benefits the organism, but in others it can be detrimental. These discoveries provide potential mechanisms by which cellular senescence might contribute to the diverse, and seemingly incongruent, processes of tumor suppression, tumor promotion, tissue repair, and aging.
authors.affiliation: Buck Institute for Age Research, 8001 Redwood Blvd, Novato, CA 94945, USA. jcampisi@buckinstitute.org
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campisi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype