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Challenges and opportunities for modeling aging and cancer
Olga Anczuków1, Susie Airhart2, Jeffrey H Chuang1
1The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
Cancer Cell
|March 31, 2023
Summary
Cancer research using young mice doesn't reflect aging's impact. New models are needed to study aging, comorbidities, and cancer in adult organisms for better treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Aging Research
- Pre-clinical Models
Background:
- Age is a primary cancer risk factor.
- Current pre-clinical cancer studies often use young animal models.
- Young models do not accurately represent aging human physiology or cancer progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the limitations of current mouse cancer models.
- To propose strategies for developing improved pre-clinical cancer models.
- To address the impact of aging and comorbidities on cancer.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and critical analysis of existing pre-clinical cancer models.
- Discussion of the biological differences between young and aged organisms.
- Identification of knowledge gaps in current cancer research methodologies.
Main Results:
- Current mouse cancer models fail to incorporate the effects of organismal aging.
- Associated comorbidities in aged individuals are not adequately studied in young models.
- Existing models do not fully capture the complexity of cancer in adult populations.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for pre-clinical cancer models that utilize aged subjects.
- Novel models should incorporate age-related physiological changes and comorbidities.
- Developing aged cancer models will improve understanding of cancer biology and treatment efficacy in adults.
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