title: Defining the toxicology of aging.
abstract: Mammalian aging is complex and incompletely understood. Although significant effort has been spent addressing the genetics or, more recently, the pharmacology of aging, the toxicology of aging has been relatively understudied. Just as an understanding of 'carcinogens' has proven crucial to modern cancer biology, an understanding of environmental toxicants that accelerate aging ('gerontogens') will inform gerontology. In this review, we discuss the evidence for the existence of mammalian gerontogens, as well as describe the biomarkers needed to measure the age-promoting activity of a given toxicant. We focus on the effects of putative gerontogens on the in vivo accumulation of senescent cells, a characteristic feature of aging that has a causal role in some age-associated phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: The Curriculum in Toxicology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7270, USA; The Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7295, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.affiliation: The Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7295, USA; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7264, USA.
authors.forename: Hanna K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Sanoff
authors.affiliation: The Curriculum in Toxicology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7270, USA; The Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7295, USA; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7264, USA; Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7264, USA. Electronic address: Norman_Sharpless@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Norman E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Sharpless
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants
keywords: CDKN2a; biomarkers; gerontogen; p16(INK4a); senescence; toxicology