2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Elucidation of molecular mechanisms for re-proliferation of senescent cells that should have irreversibly ceased to proliferate
| Project/Area Number |
21K07144
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 50010:Tumor biology-related
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| Research Institution | Gunma University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | 低酸素応答 / 代謝 / 細胞老化 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Cellular senescence is defined as the "irreversible arrest of cell proliferation" induced by various stresses such as telomere shortening, DNA damage, and oxidative stress. Cellular senescence has been thought to be a system that prevents cells from turning cancerous. However, since senescent cells accumulate in vivo with aging and cancer incidence also increases, it is reasonable to assume that cancer develops from senescent cells in which mutations have accumulated. Therefore, it is logical to assume that cancer develops from senescent cells with accumulated mutations. We have obtained exciting findings by (1) elucidating the mechanism by which senescent cells become cancerous and how to avoid this mechanism and (2) examining the possibility of rejuvenation of senescent cells.
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| Free Research Field |
代謝
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
「不可逆的な細胞増殖の停止」と定義される細胞老化だが、実際にはがんのように「増殖停止した老化細胞が老化から脱出したと考えると説明しやすい病理現象」も存在するため、細胞老化の可逆性については未だに議論の余地がある。本研究は「細胞老化とは不可逆的な増殖停止である」という永年のドグマを再検討するものであり、本研究の成果から、細胞老化の概念が再定義され、老化細胞のがん化メカニズムが解明され、細胞のがん化の回避策や細胞や個体の若返り(rejuvenation)へのヒントが得られることが十分に期待できるため、本邦の直面する超高齢化社会問題を考える上でも非常に重要かつ興味深い研究であると考える
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