Roles and mechanisms of cellular senescence in cancer microenvironment

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Integrative Research on Cancer Microenvironment Network
• Project/Area Number: 23112101
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research
• Principal Investigator: HARA Eiji 公益財団法人がん研究会, がん研究所がん生物部, 部長 (80263268)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 発がん / 細胞老化 / がん微小環境 / 液性因子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have tried to understand the roles and mechanisms of senescent stromal cells in cancer microenvironment, and following findings are obtained : (1) In senescent cells, DNA damage response provokes degradation of G9a/GLP histone methyltransferases and thereby causing epigenetic de-repression of SASP factor genes. (2) Senescent hepatic stromal cells promote hepatocellular tumorigenesis through secreting SASP factors. (3) SASP primarily promotes tissue repair, contributing to maintenance of homeostasis. Excess amount and/or duration of SASP, however, provokes tumorigenesis.

Free Research Field

分子腫瘍学