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Cellular Senescence in Postmitotic Cells: Beyond Growth Arrest
Przemyslaw Sapieha1, Frédérick A Mallette2
1Département de Biochimie et Médecine Moléculaire, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada; Département d'Ophtalmologie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada; Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, Montréal, QC, H1T 2M4, Canada.
Trends in Cell Biology
|April 30, 2018
Summary
Cellular senescence, a cell cycle arrest, can occur in postmitotic cells (PoMiCS). PoMiCS may aid tissue repair but can also drive disease via inflammatory signals.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Aging Research
- Tissue Homeostasis
Background:
- Cellular senescence is a known mechanism to prevent proliferation of damaged cells in mitotic cells.
- Recent evidence suggests postmitotic cells can also undergo senescence, termed postmitotic cellular senescence (PoMiCS).
- The functional consequences of PoMiCS on tissue health and disease remain largely undefined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential roles of PoMiCS in tissue health and disease.
- To propose an expanded definition of cellular senescence that includes postmitotic terminally differentiated cells.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and conceptual discussion.
Main Results:
- PoMiCS may protect tissues by maintaining cellular integrity in non-dividing cells.
- PoMiCS can prevent stressor-induced tissue degeneration and promote repair.
- PoMiCS can paradoxically contribute to disease via the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP).
Conclusions:
- Cellular senescence is not limited to mitotic cells.
- The definition of cellular senescence should be broadened to encompass postmitotic terminally differentiated cells.
- Understanding PoMiCS is crucial for comprehending tissue aging and disease pathogenesis.
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