FRAR course on laboratory approaches to aging. Cellular aging, in vitro and in vivo

Human cells grown in culture exhibit exponential growth provided they are regularly provided with fresh medium. This exponential growth is limited, and although the cells eventually cease to divide, they remain viable for long periods of time. Such a culture is deemed to be "senescent", but it is not clear whether this reflects the growth pattern of cells in vivo. Considerable evidence has been obtained to correlate cell senescence in vitro with aging in vivo, but there is no convincing evidence that any organ or tissue ages as a result of senescence of its individual cells. Recently gained insights into the control of cell proliferation through studies of cell senescence, and the relevance of cell senescence as a strategy to prevent carcinogenesis are of particular interest.