[30] Cellular Senescence and Aging Flashcards
What is Cellular Senescence?
The state of irreversible cell cycle arrest.
What triggers Cellular Senescence?
- DNA damage
- Telomere shortening
- Oncogene activation
What role does Cellular Senescence play in Aging?
It’s believed to contribute to aging and age-related diseases due to the accumulation of senescent cells.
What is the Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP)?
A characteristic of senescent cells where they secrete inflammatory and tissue-remodeling molecules.
SASP - Initials
Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype
How does SASP affect the tissue environment?
It can stimulate inflammation and alter the behavior of nearby cells.
What role does Telomere shortening play in Cellular Senescence?
When telomeres become critically short, the DNA damage response is triggered leading to cellular senescence.
What are Telomeres?
The protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division.
How is Cellular Senescence linked to Cancer?
Senescence is a tumor suppressive mechanism, but senescent cells can also promote cancer through SASP.
What are the morphological changes in senescent cells?
- Enlarged size
- Increased granularity
- Altered gene expression
What are Senolytics?
Drugs designed to selectively kill senescent cells.
What role do Senolytics play in Aging and Age-related diseases?
They have potential to delay aging and reduce age-related diseases by eliminating accumulated senescent cells.
What are some methods to identify Senescent Cells?
- Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase staining
- Detection of DNA damage foci
- Expression of cell cycle inhibitors (p16, p21)
What is the Hayflick Limit?
The number of times a normal human cell population will divide before cell division stops, due to senescence.
What happens to the Mitochondria in senescent cells?
They often show altered function and morphology, and can contribute to the SASP.
