Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

The immune cells play the central roles to detect and destroy abnormal cells may prevent the process of cancer and aging. Cellular senescence, a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest, can be triggered by different mechanism including oncogene activation, telomere erosion, DNA damage, oxidative stress and chemotherapy. It is well known that systemic or organ-specific accumulation of senescent cells results in aging and aging-related disease. Moreover, senescence associated with the disruption of the tissue microenvironment enhances the development of a pro-oncogenic environment, principally via the secretion of senescence-associated pro-inflammatory factors. Recent studies demonstrated that clearance of p16Ink4a-positive senescent cells delays the development of aging-associated disease. Therefore, senescent cells become an attractive target for anti-aging therapy. Both innate and adaptive immune cells have great capacity to eliminate senescent and malignant cells accumulated in tissue, organ and in peripheral circulation. Senescent cells communicate with their microenvironment by secreting many of kinds of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and proteases. This condition is called senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP).The SASP recruits and activates immune cells to clear senescent cells, which may promote tissue repair and remove potentially tumorigenic factors in the body. For example, NK cells, which belong to a component of innate immune system could recognize senescent cells through NKG2D ligand-receptor interaction and utilize granule exocytosis to kill senescent cells. Induction of cellular senescence is also a therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment by applying systemic pro-senescent stress such as chemotherapy and ionizing radiation. These kinds of therapies generate persistent senescent cells that might damage surrounding tissues via the SASP and then cause long-term side effects of cancer treatment such as accelerated aging. Therefore, using immune cells that could clear senescent cells as an adjuvant therapy might have beneficial effects in cancer patients who received pro-senescent therapy.

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