Bioenergetic and ROS production in Senescent cells
A striking example of a prime driver of aging phenotypes and pathologies is cellular senescence. Firstly, senescent cells stop proliferating but maintaining metabolic active. Senescent cells become big, sometime 8 times bigger than normal growing cells (figures on the right). Secondly, senescent cells develop a multi-component secretome called: senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These SASP factors have significant physiological roles for both senescent cells themselves and normal neighboring cells.
Even though it has been hypothesized that both the senescent arrest of cell proliferation and its secretary phenotypes are intimately linked to the metabolic state of the cell, the bioenergetic state of senescent cells and its regulation of the SASP are poorly understood. Currently, we are investigating bioenergetic properties, ROS production and redox environment in senescent cells associated with its growth arrest and it secretome.
Normal growing cells
