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Simultaneous Isolation and Culture of Atrial Myocytes, Ventricular Myocytes, and Non-Myocytes from an Adult Mouse Heart
Published on: June 14, 2020
Mechanisms driving the ageing heart
Rhys Anderson1, Gavin D Richardson2, João F Passos3
1The Randall Division, King's College London, London, UK; Ageing Research Laboratories, Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Insights
Cellular senescence, an irreversible cell-cycle arrest, is increasingly linked to heart ageing and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Targeting senescent cells may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for age-related heart conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Gerontology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading global cause of mortality.
- Age is a primary risk factor for CVD, yet cardiac ageing mechanisms remain unclear.
- Understanding heart ageing is crucial for developing effective preventions and treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of cellular senescence in heart ageing.
- To elucidate the mechanisms by which senescence impacts cardiac ageing and CVD.
- To evaluate senolytics as a potential therapy for age-related cardiac dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of cellular senescence and cardiovascular ageing.
- Analysis of mechanisms linking senescence pathways to heart ageing.
- Evaluation of emerging data on senolytic therapies for cardiac ageing.
Main Results:
- Cellular senescence is implicated in the ageing of the heart.
- Specific cell types and mechanisms of senescence in the heart require further elucidation.
- Targeting senescent cells shows promise as a therapeutic approach.
Conclusions:
- Cellular senescence is a significant contributor to cardiac ageing and CVD.
- Further research is needed to identify specific senescent cell types and mechanisms in the heart.
- Therapeutic strategies targeting senescent cells warrant investigation for combating heart ageing.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. One of the main risk factors for CVD is age, however the biological processes that occur in the heart during ageing are poorly understood. It is therefore important to understand the fundamental mechanisms driving heart ageing to enable the development of preventions and treatments targeting these processes. Cellular senescence is often described as the irreversible cell-cycle arrest which occurs in somatic cells. Emerging evidence suggests that cellular senescence plays a key role in heart ageing, however the cell-types involved and the underlying mechanisms are not yet elucidated. In this review we discuss the current understanding of how mechanisms known to contribute to senescence impact on heart ageing and CVD. Finally, we evaluate recent data suggesting that targeting senescent cells may be a viable therapy to counteract the ageing of the heart.
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