Exploiting cellular senescence in hematologic malignancies

TL;DR

This paper reviews how cellular senescence influences blood cancers and how targeting it could improve cancer treatments.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of senescence's dual role in hematologic malignancies and potential therapeutic strategies.

Findings

Senescent cells exhibit features like SASP and metabolic changes that contribute to cancer progression.

Combining senolytics with chemotherapy improves treatment outcomes in blood cancers.

Cellular senescence can both promote and inhibit tumor growth, acting as a double-edged sword.

Abstract

•Characteristics of Senescent Cells: Morphological alterations, cell cycle arrest, DNA damage, SASP, SA-β-gal and lipofuscin, metabolic changes.•Therapeutic strategies targeting cellular senescence: inducing cellular senescence and eliminating senescent cells.•Combining current antitumor treatments and senolytics can eliminate senescent cells more effectively and improve treatment outcomes in hematologic malignancies.

Characteristics of Senescent Cells: Morphological alterations, cell cycle arrest, DNA damage, SASP, SA-β-gal and lipofuscin, metabolic changes.

Therapeutic strategies targeting cellular senescence: inducing cellular senescence and eliminating senescent cells.

Combining current antitumor treatments and senolytics can eliminate senescent cells more effectively and improve treatment outcomes in hematologic malignancies.

Cellular Senescence is characterized by stable cell cycle arrest and major changes in cell morphology and physiology. Accumulating evidence indicates that senescence-associated phenotypic alterations in blood cells drive the initiation and progression of hematologic malignancies. Therefore, we reviewed the phenotypes associated with cellular senescence and the regulatory mechanisms of cellular senescence in hematological malignancies. Notably, chemical induction of cellular senescence and selectively elimination of senescent cells can effectively inhibit tumor cell proliferation and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy. This review also discusses the role of cellular senescence in the treatment of hematological malignancies, providing an in-depth understanding of the role of cellular senescence as a double-edged sword in cancer biology.

Image, graphical abstract

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