Biomaterial Database

Probing the depths of cellular senescence. 2013

Darren J Baker, and John M Sedivy

Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

Cellular senescence is a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest that has been documented to both suppress cancer and promote aging. Although not well understood, extensive nuclear changes, including the remodeling of chromatin, take place as cells become senescent. In this issue, Ivanov et al. (2013. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/jcb.201212110) report that chromatin fragments are released from the nuclei of senescent cells and are subsequently targeted for processing through the autophagy/lysosomal pathway.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008247	Lysosomes	A class of morphologically heterogeneous cytoplasmic particles in animal and plant tissues characterized by their content of hydrolytic enzymes and the structure-linked latency of these enzymes. The intracellular functions of lysosomes depend on their lytic potential. The single unit membrane of the lysosome acts as a barrier between the enzymes enclosed in the lysosome and the external substrate. The activity of the enzymes contained in lysosomes is limited or nil unless the vesicle in which they are enclosed is ruptured or undergoes MEMBRANE FUSION. (From Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed).	Autolysosome,Autolysosomes,Lysosome
D002843	Chromatin	The material of CHROMOSOMES. It is a complex of DNA; HISTONES; and nonhistone proteins (CHROMOSOMAL PROTEINS, NON-HISTONE) found within the nucleus of a cell.	Chromatins
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016922	Cellular Senescence	Process by which cells irreversibly stop dividing and enter a state of permanent growth arrest without undergoing CELL DEATH. Senescence can be induced by DNA DAMAGE or other cellular stresses, such as OXIDATIVE STRESS.	Aging, Cell,Cell Aging,Cell Senescence,Replicative Senescence,Senescence, Cellular,Senescence, Replicative,Cell Ageing,Cellular Ageing,Cellular Aging,Ageing, Cell,Ageing, Cellular,Aging, Cellular,Senescence, Cell