Do tumor-suppressive mechanisms contribute to organism aging by inducing stem cell senescence?

PP-1β and PP-2Aα modulate cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) functions in aging control and stress response through de-regulation of αB-crystallin gene and p300-p53 signaling axis

The function of the transcription factor, cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB), is activated through S133 phosphorylation by PKA and others. Regarding its inactivation, it is not well defined. cAMP response element‐binding protein plays an essential role in promoting cell proliferation, neuronal survival and the synaptic plasticity associated with long‐term memory. Our recent studies have shown that CREB is an important player in mediating stress response. Here, we have demonstrated that CREB regulates aging process through suppression of αB‐crystallin and activation of the p300‐p53‐Bak/Bax signaling axis. First, we determined that two specific protein phosphatases, PP‐1β and PP‐2Aα, can inactivate CREB through S133 dephosphorylation. Subsequently, we demonstrated that cells expressing the S133A‐CREB, a mutant mimicking constant dephosphorylation at S133, suppress CREB functions in aging control and stress response. Mechanistically, S133A‐CREB not only significantly suppresses CREB control of αB‐crystallin gene, but also represses CREB‐mediated activation of p53 acetylation and downstream Bak/Bax genes. cAMP response element‐binding protein suppression of αB‐crystallin and its activation of p53 acetylation are major molecular events observed in human cataractous lenses of different age groups. Together, our results demonstrate that PP‐1β and PP‐2Aα modulate CREB functions in aging control and stress response through de‐regulation of αB‐crystallin gene and p300‐p53‐Bax/Bak signaling axis, which regulates human cataractogenesis in the aging lens.

The regulation of ginsenoside Rg1 upon aging of bone marrow stromal cell contribute to delaying senescence of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNCs)

To investigate the effect and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 antagonizing bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) aging, which contribute to the delaying senescence of hematopoietic cells in vitro and in vivo. Rg1 could reduce the effects of senility agent on BMSCs by decreasing the rate of SA-Gal positive cells, and increasing the proliferative ability of CCK8 cells. After BMNCs co-cultured with BMSCs which were treated by Rg1 in vitro, compared with BMNCs co-cultured with BMSCs from aging group, percentage of positive cell SA-Gal staining was decreased, the formation ability of CFU-Mix was enhanced, the proliferative ability was increased, and the apoptosis rate was decreased. In aging rat model, after treated with Rg1, the percentage of positive cell SA-Gal staining in BMSCs was significantly decreased, the proliferative ability was increased. After treated with Rg1, the percentage of positive cell SA-Gal staining in BMNCs was significantly decreased, the formation ability of CFU-Mix mixed colony was enhanced, ROS was decreased, and SOD activity was increased. Aging BMSCs could induce the senescence of BMNCs. Rg1 could antagonize the effect of d-gal on the aging of BMSCs both in vivo and in vitro, and restore the hematopoietic capacity of BMNCs through the different pathways.

Characterization of Senescence of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells After Long-Term Expansion

INTRODUCTION

Since the 1980s, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have become a powerful and potential source for stem cell-based therapy, regenerative medicine, and even drug delivery in cancer treatment. The development of off-the-shelf mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), including ASCs, has rapidly advanced in recent years with several clinical trials and approved products. In this technology, ASCs should be expanded long term in order to harvest higher cell number. In this study, senescence of ASCs after long-term expansion was evaluated.

METHODS

Human ASCs (hASCs) were isolated and cultured continuously at a density of 10³ cells/cm² up to passage 15. The cells were assessed for aging via changes in the following: characteristics of MSCs, mitochondrial activity, accumulation of beta-galactosidase, and expression of tumor suppressor genes.

RESULTS

The results showed that following in vitro expansion to the 15th passage, ASCs did not show changes in immunophenotype, except for decreased expression of CD105. However, the cells increased in size and in shape and complexity (toward the "fried egg" morphology). They also almost ceased to proliferate in passage 15. Nonetheless, they maintained in vitro differentiation potential toward osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. Expression of tumor suppressor genes p53 and p16 did not significantly change, while p27 was significantly downregulated. Mitochondrial activities also decreased slightly in culture from passage 5 to passage 10 and remained stable to passage 15. ASCs also showed increased accumulation of beta-galactosidase in culture, but it was negligible.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, hASCs exhibited some particular characteristics of aged stem cells when the number of subculture cells increased. However, up to passage 10, ASCs also retained almost all of the characteristics of MSCs.

Natural killer cell recognition of in vivo drug-induced senescent multiple myeloma cells

Recognition of tumor cells by the immune system is a key step in cancer eradication. Melphalan is an alkylating agent routinely used in the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), but at therapeutic doses it leads to an immunosuppressive state due to lymphopenia. Here, we used a mouse model of MM to investigate the ability of in vivo treatment with low doses of melphalan to modulate natural killer (NK) cell activity, which have been shown to play a major role in the control of MM growth. Melphalan treatment was able to enhance the surface expression of the stress-induced NKG2D ligands RAE-1 and MULT-1, and of the DNAM-1 ligand PVR (CD155) on MM cells, leading to better tumor cell recognition and killing by NK cells, as highlighted by NK cell increased degranulation triggered by melphalan-treated tumor cells. Remarkably, NK cell population was not affected by the melphalan dose used, but rather displayed activation features as indicated by CD107a and CD69 expression. Furthermore, we showed that low doses of melphalan fail to induce tumor cell apoptosis, but promote the in vivo establishment of a senescent tumor cell population, harboring high levels of the stress-induced ligands RAE-1 and PVR. Taken together our data support the concept of using chemotherapy in order to boost antitumor innate immune responses and report the possibility to induce cellular senescence of tumor cells in vivo.

Transgenic mice overexpressing glia maturation factor-β, an oxidative stress inducible gene, show premature aging due to Zmpste24 down-regulation

Glia Maturation Factor-β (GMF), a brain specific protein, is induced by proteinuria in renal tubules. Ectopic GMF overexpression causes apoptosis in vitro via cellular vulnerability to oxidative stress. In order to examine the roles of GMF in non-brain tissue, we constructed transgenic mice overexpressing GMF (GMF-TG). The GMF-TG mice exhibited appearance phenotypes associated with premature aging. The GMF-TG mice also demonstrated short lifespans and reduced hair regrowth, suggesting an accelerated aging process. The production of an abnormal lamin A, a nuclear envelope protein, plays a causal role in both normal aging and accelerated aging diseases, known as laminopathies. Importantly, we identified the abnormal lamin A (prelamin A), accompanied by a down-regulation of a lamin A processing enzyme (Zmpste24) in the kidney of the GMF-TG mice. The GMF-TG mice showed accelerated aging in the kidney, compared with wild-type mice, showing increased TGF-β1, CTGF gene and serum creatinine. The gene expression of p21/waf1 was increased at an earlier stage of life, at 10 weeks, which was in turn down-regulated at a later stage, at 60 weeks. In conclusion, we propose that GMF-TG mice might be a novel mouse model of accelerated aging, due to the abnormal lamin A.

Site-Specific Characteristics of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Modify the Effect of Aging on the Skeleton

Bone is a self-renewing tissue. Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) are located in the adult skeleton and are believed to be involved in the maintenance of skeletal homeostasis throughout life. With increasing age, the ability of the skeleton to repair itself decreases, possibly due to the reduced functional capacity of BMSCs. Recent evidence has suggested the existence of at least two populations of BMSCs with different embryonic origins that cannot be interchanged during stem cell recruitment: craniofacial BMSCs (neural crest origin) and appendicular BMSCs (mesoderm origin). Questions arise as to whether the site-specific characteristics alter the effect of aging on the skeleton. In this study, the effects of biological aging on human BMSCs were compared with BMSCs derived from the craniofacial bone versus those derived from the appendicular skeleton. The phenotype, proliferation, and functional characteristics (osteogenic differentiation, cytokine secretion, and bone formation in vivo) of the BMSCs were investigated. The results demonstrated that the proliferative capacity and osteogenic differentiation of the BMSCs decrease significantly with age both in vitro and in vivo. For age-matched groups, the osteogenic differentiation capacity of alveolar BMSCs was higher than that of femoral BMSCs in the middle-aged and old groups, while there was no significant difference for the young groups. Compared with old alveolar BMSCs, old femoral BMSCs had a significantly longer population doubling time, a smaller colony-forming population, and less bone formation in vivo, while there was no significant difference for the young and middle-aged groups. Distinct differences in the expression of cytokine factors were also found. In conclusion, human BMSCs display an age-related decrease in functional capacity, and embryonic origins may play a critical role in mediating the aging rate of BMSCs. These data provide novel insights into the skeletal site-specific characteristics of aged BMSCs.

Assessment of tumourigenic potential in long-term cryopreserved human adipose-derived stem cells

Cryopreservation represents an efficient way to preserve human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) at early culture/passage, and allows pooling of cells to achieve sufficient cells required for off-the-shelf use in clinical applications, e.g. cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine. To fully apply cryopreserved hMSCs in a clinical setting, it is necessary to evaluate their biosafety, e.g. chromosomal abnormality and tumourigenic potential. To date, many studies have demonstrated that cryopreserved hMSCs display no chromosomal abnormalities. However, the tumourigenic potential of cryopreserved hMSCs has not yet been evaluated. In the present study, we cryopreserved human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) for 3 months, using a slow freezing method with various cryoprotective agents (CPAs), followed by assessment of the tumourigenic potential of the cryopreserved hASCs after thawing and subculture. We found that long-term cryopreserved hASCs maintained normal levels of the tumour suppressor markers p53, p21, p16 and pRb, hTERT, telomerase activity and telomere length. Further, we did not observe significant DNA damage or signs of p53 mutation in cryopreserved hASCs. Our findings suggest that long-term cryopreserved hASCs are at low risk of tumourigenesis. These findings aid in establishing the biosafety profile of cryopreserved hASCs, and thus establishing low hazardous risk perception with the use of long-term cryopreserved hASCs for future clinical applications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Down-Regulated NRSN2 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Survival Through PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Neurensin-2 (NRSN2) is a neuronal membrane protein; previous reports indicated that it might function as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its biological functions and associated mechanisms remain unknown. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the biological functions and possible mechanisms of neurensin-2.

METHODS

The mRNA and protein level of NRSN2 in HCC has tissues and cell lines were detected by quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry staning and western blot. Overexpressing and silencing the level of NRSN2 in HCC cell lines were used to investigate the role of NRSN2 in HCC. CCK-8 assays, SA-β gel staining, Annexin V/PI staining, quantitative real-time PCR and western blot were employed to explore the role and mechanisms of HCC.

RESULTS

NRSN2 was more commonly down-regulated HCC tissues compared with adjacent tissues, and the expression pattern of NRSN2 was not only closely correlated with tumor size and TNM stage but also negatively correlated with patient prognosis. Both loss and gain function assays revealed that NRSN2 inhibits cancer cell proliferation and promotes cancer cell senescence and apoptosis. We further found that NRSN2 might regulate PI3K/AKT signaling and p53/p21 pathway to exert its role in HCC cell proliferation, senescence and apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

Our study validates the suppressive role of NRSN2 in both clinicopathologic and biological aspects in HCC tumorigenesis.

In situ normoxia enhances survival and proliferation rate of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells without increasing the risk of tumourigenesis

Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASCs) natively reside in a relatively low-oxygen tension (i.e., hypoxic) microenvironment in human body. Low oxygen tension (i.e., in situ normoxia), has been known to enhance the growth and survival rate of ASCs, which, however, may lead to the risk of tumourigenesis. Here, we investigated the tumourigenic potential of ASCs under their physiological condition to ensure their safe use in regenerative therapy. Human ASCs isolated from subcutaneous fat were cultured in atmospheric O₂ concentration (21% O₂) or in situ normoxia (2% O₂). We found that ASCs retained their surface markers, tri-lineage differentiation potential, and self-renewal properties under in situ normoxia without altering their morphology. In situ normoxia displayed a higher proliferation and viability of ASCs with less DNA damage as compared to atmospheric O₂ concentration. Moreover, low oxygen tension significantly up-regulated VEGF and bFGF mRNA expression and protein secretion while reducing the expression level of tumour suppressor genes p16, p21, p53, and pRb. However, there were no significant differences in ASCs telomere length and their relative telomerase activity when cultured at different oxygen concentrations. Collectively, even with high proliferation and survival rate, ASCs have a low tendency of developing tumour under in situ normoxia. These results suggest 2% O₂ as an ideal culture condition for expanding ASCs efficiently while maintaining their characteristics.

The convergence of fracture repair and stem cells: interplay of genes, aging, environmental factors and disease

The complexity of fracture repair makes it an ideal process for studying the interplay between the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ level events involved in tissue regeneration. Additionally, as fracture repair recapitulates many of the processes that occur during embryonic development, investigations of fracture repair provide insights regarding skeletal embryogenesis. Specifically, inflammation, signaling, gene expression, cellular proliferation and differentiation, osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, angiogenesis, and remodeling represent the complex array of interdependent biological events that occur during fracture repair. Here we review studies of bone regeneration in genetically modified mouse models, during aging, following environmental exposure, and in the setting of disease that provide insights regarding the role of multipotent cells and their regulation during fracture repair. Complementary animal models and ongoing scientific discoveries define an increasing number of molecular and cellular targets to reduce the morbidity and complications associated with fracture repair. Last, some new and exciting areas of stem cell research such as the contribution of mitochondria function, limb regeneration signaling, and microRNA (miRNA) posttranscriptional regulation are all likely to further contribute to our understanding of fracture repair as an active branch of regenerative medicine.

Silencing of RB1 but not of RB2/P130 induces cellular senescence and impairs the differentiation potential of human mesenchymal stem cells

Stem cell senescence is considered deleterious because it may impair tissue renewal and function. On the other hand, senescence may arrest the uncontrolled growth of transformed stem cells and protect organisms from cancer. This double function of senescence is strictly linked to the activity of genes that the control cell cycle such as the retinoblastoma proteins RB1, RB2/P130, and P107. We took advantage of the RNA interference technique to analyze the role of these proteins in the biology of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Cells lacking RB1 were prone to DNA damage. They showed elevated levels of p53 and p21(cip1) and increased regulation of RB2/P130 and P107 expression. These cells gradually adopted a senescent phenotype with impairment of self-renewal properties. No significant modification of cell growth was observed as it occurs in other cell types or systems. In cells with silenced RB2/P130, we detected a reduction of DNA damage along with a higher proliferation rate, an increase in clonogenic ability, and the diminution of apoptosis and senescence. Cells with silenced RB2/P130 were cultivated for extended periods of time without adopting a transformed phenotype. Of note, acute lowering of P107 did not induce relevant changes in the in vitro behavior of MSC. We also analyzed cell commitment and the osteo-chondro-adipogenic differentiation process of clones derived by MSC cultures. In all clones obtained from cells with silenced retinoblastoma genes, we observed a reduction in the ability to differentiate compared with the control clones. In summary, our data show evidence that the silencing of the expression of RB1 or RB2/P130 is not compensated by other gene family members, and this profoundly affects MSC functions.

Pigment epithelium-derived factor delays cellular senescence of human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro by reducing oxidative stress

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent progenitor cells that represent a promising approach in the field of regenerative medicine; however, this potential diminishes with senescence. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) gives some protection by reducing oxidative stress, which is known to accelerate cellular senescence. Thus we hypothesized that PEDF could delay senescence during MSC expansion by reducing oxidative stress. Proliferation and differentiation potentials, oxidative stress, senescence and p53/p16 expressions have been examined. In MSCs cultured under normoxic conditions treated with PEDF, proliferative lifespan in vitro was significantly increased compared with control group not given PEDF, with ∼10 additional population doublings (PD) occurring before terminal growth arrest. Most of the MSCs cultured under normoxic conditions ceased to proliferate after 20-28 PD, while few senescent cells were found in the hypoxic, PEDF-hypoxic and PEDF-normoxic cultures; this was associated with downregulation of p53 and p16 expression and decreased oxidative stress. PEDF also preserved differentiation potentials of MSCs compared with the control group. Thus PEDF suppression of oxidative stress delays cellular senescence and allows greater expansion of MSCs.

Therapeutic targeting of the p53 pathway in cancer stem cells

INTRODUCTION

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a high profile drug target for cancer therapeutics due to their indispensable role in cancer progression, maintenance and therapeutic resistance. Restoring wild-type (WT) p53 function is an attractive new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer due to the well-described powerful tumor suppressor function of p53. As emerging evidence intimately links p53 and stem cell biology, this approach also provides an opportunity to target CSCs.

AREAS COVERED

This review covers the therapeutic approaches to restore the function of WT p53, cancer and normal stem cell biology in relation to p53 and the downstream effects of p53 on CSCs.

EXPERT OPINION

The restoration of WT p53 function by targeting p53 directly, its interacting proteins or its family members holds promise as a new class of cancer therapies. This review examines the impact that such therapies may have on normal and CSCs based on the current evidence linking p53 signaling with these populations.

Changes in CDKN2D , TP53, and miR125a expression: potential role in the evaluation of human amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stromal cell fitness

Human amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSC) have become one of the main cell populations used in regenerative medicine and for the study of various clinical disorders. These cells have a great capacity for proliferation and differentiation and do not form teratomas when transplanted into animal models, and their stemness seems to be between embryonic cells and adult mesenchymal cells. Before their use in cell therapy, they must be cultured and expanded in vitro, but the effect this process has on their fitness, a determining factor for the success or failure of cell therapy, is unknown. We undertook a follow-up of gene and microRNAs (miRNAs) expression using microarray of hAMSC for the first 15 passages. Significant changes were noted in the expression of various mRNAs and miRNAs, particularly down-regulation of TP53, increased expression of hsa-miR-125a and up-regulation of CDKN2D . The variations in TP53 and hsa-miR-125a may act as an indicator of the stemness of the hAMSC, whereas CDKN2D may indicate the begging of early senescence process in a p53-independent mechanism. The genes described in this study will help evaluate the fitness of hAMSC, thus guaranteeing their biological quality for use in regenerative medicine.

Global heterochromatin loss: a unifying theory of aging?

The aging field is replete with theories. Over the past years, many distinct, yet overlapping mechanisms have been proposed to explain organismal aging. These include free radicals, loss of heterochromatin, genetically programmed senescence, telomere shortening, genomic instability, nutritional intake and growth signaling, to name a few. The objective of this Point-of-View is to highlight recent progress on the "loss of heterochromatin" model of aging and to propose that epigenetic changes contributing to global heterochromatin loss may underlie the various cellular processes associated with aging.

Is cellular senescence an example of antagonistic pleiotropy?

It is generally accepted that the permanent arrest of cell division known as cellular senescence contributes to aging by an antagonistic pleiotropy mechanism: cellular senescence would act beneficially early in life by suppressing cancer, but detrimentally later on by causing frailty and, paradoxically, cancer. In this review, we show that there is room to rethink this common view. We propose a critical appraisal of the arguments commonly brought in support of it, and we qualitatively analyse published results that are of relevance to understand whether or not cellular senescence-associated genes really act in an antagonistic-pleiotropic manner in humans.

A differentiation checkpoint limits hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal in response to DNA damage

Checkpoints that limit stem cell self-renewal in response to DNA damage can contribute to cancer protection but may also promote tissue aging. Molecular components that control stem cell responses to DNA damage remain to be delineated. Using in vivo RNAi screens, we identified basic leucine zipper transcription factor, ATF-like (BATF) as a major component limiting self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in response to telomere dysfunction and γ-irradiation. DNA damage induces BATF in a G-CSF/STAT3-dependent manner resulting in lymphoid differentiation of HSCs. BATF deletion improves HSC self-renewal and function in response to γ-irradiation or telomere shortening but results in accumulation of DNA damage in HSCs. Analysis of bone marrow from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome supports the conclusion that DNA damage-dependent induction of BATF is conserved in human HSCs. Together, these results provide experimental evidence that a BATF-dependent differentiation checkpoint limits self-renewal of HSCs in response to DNA damage.

Dose-dependent effects of R-sulforaphane isothiocyanate on the biology of human mesenchymal stem cells, at dietary amounts, it promotes cell proliferation and reduces senescence and apoptosis, while at anti-cancer drug doses, it has a cytotoxic effect

Brassica vegetables are attracting a great deal of attention as healthy foods because of the fact that they contain substantial amounts of secondary metabolite glucosinolates that are converted into isothiocyanates, such as sulforaphane [(-)1-isothiocyanato-4R-(methylsulfinyl)-butane] (R-SFN), through the actions of chopping or chewing the vegetables. Several studies have analyzed the biological and molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of synthetic R,S-sulforaphane, which is thought to be a result of its antioxidant properties and its ability to inhibit histone deacetylase enzymes (HDAC). Few studies have addressed the possible antioxidant effects of R-SFN, which could protect cells from the free radical damage that strongly contribute to aging. Moreover, little is known about the effect of R-SFN on stem cells whose longevity is implicated in human aging. We evaluated the effects of R-SFN on the biology on human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which, in addition to their ability to differentiate into mesenchymal tissues, support hematopoiesis, and contribute to the homeostatic maintenance of many organs and tissues. Our investigation found evidence that low doses of R-SFN promote MSCs proliferation and protect them from apoptosis and senescence, while higher doses have a cytotoxic effect, leading to the induction of cell cycle arrest, programmed cell death and senescence. The beneficial effects of R-SFN may be ascribed to its antioxidant properties, which were observed when MSC cultures were incubated with low doses of R-SFN. Its cytotoxic effects, which were observed after treating MSCs with high doses of R-SFN, could be attributed to its HDAC inhibitory activity. In summary, we found that R-SFN, like many other dietary supplements, exhibits a hormetic behavior; it is able to induce biologically opposite effects at different doses.

Lithocholic bile acid selectively kills neuroblastoma cells, while sparing normal neuronal cells

Aging is one of the major risk factors of cancer. The onset of cancer can be postponed by pharmacological and dietary anti-aging interventions. We recently found in yeast cellular models of aging that lithocholic acid (LCA) extends longevity. Here we show that, at concentrations that are not cytotoxic to primary cultures of human neurons, LCA kills the neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines BE(2)-m17, SK-n-SH, SK-n-MCIXC and Lan-1. In BE(2)-m17, SK-n-SH and SK-n-MCIXC cells, the LCA anti-tumor effect is due to apoptotic cell death. In contrast, the LCA-triggered death of Lan-1 cells is not caused by apoptosis. While low concentrations of LCA sensitize BE(2)-m17 and SK-n-MCIXC cells to hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptotic cell death controlled by mitochondria, these LCA concentrations make primary cultures of human neurons resistant to such a form of cell death. LCA kills BE(2)-m17 and SK-n-MCIXC cell lines by triggering not only the intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptotic cell death pathway driven by mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and initiator caspase-9 activation, but also the extrinsic (death receptor) pathway of apoptosis involving activation of the initiator caspase-8. Based on these data, we propose a mechanism underlying a potent and selective anti-tumor effect of LCA in cultured human NB cells. Moreover, our finding that LCA kills cultured human breast cancer and rat glioma cells implies that it has a broad anti-tumor effect on cancer cells derived from different tissues and organisms.

Tissue-specific dysregulation of DNA methylation in aging

The normal aging process is a complex phenomenon associated with physiological alterations in the function of cells and organs over time. Although an attractive candidate for mediating transcriptional dysregulation, the contribution of epigenetic dysregulation to these progressive changes in cellular physiology remains unclear. In this study, we employed the genome-wide HpaII tiny fragment enrichment by ligation-mediated PCR assay to define patterns of cytosine methylation throughout the rat genome and the luminometric methylation analysis assay to measure global levels of DNA methylation in the same samples. We studied both liver and visceral adipose tissues and demonstrated significant differences in DNA methylation with age at > 5% of sites analyzed. Furthermore, we showed that epigenetic dysregulation with age is a highly tissue-dependent phenomenon. The most distinctive loci were located at intergenic sequences and conserved noncoding elements, and not at promoters nor at CG-dinucleotide-dense loci. Despite this, we found that there was a subset of genes at which cytosine methylation and gene expression changes were concordant. Finally, we demonstrated that changes in methylation occur consistently near genes that are involved in metabolism and metabolic regulation, implicating their potential role in the pathogenesis of age-related diseases. We conclude that different patterns of epigenetic dysregulation occur in each tissue over time and may cause some of the physiological changes associated with normal aging.

Time-course transcriptional profiling of human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells using microarray

PURPOSE

To maintain the homeostasis of stem cells and prevent their ability to initiate tumorigenesis, it is important to identify and modify factors that prevent or accelerate stem cell senescence. We used microarrays to attempt to identify such factors in human amniotic fluid (HAF)-derived stem cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To identify gene expression changes over a time course, we compared gene expression profiles of HAF-derived stem cells in different passages (1(st), 2(nd), 4(th), 6(th), 8(th), and 10(th)) using a Sentrix Human illumina microarray.

RESULTS

Of the 25,804 genes in the microarray chip, 1,970 showed an over 2-fold change relative to the control (the 1(st) passage)-either upregulated or downregulated. Quantitative real-time PCR validated the microarray data for selected genes: markedly increased genes were CXCL12, cadherin 6 (CDH6), and folate receptor 3 (FOLR3). Downregulated genes included cyclin D2, keratin 8, insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), natriuretic peptide precursor B (NPPB) and cellular retinoic acid binding protein 2 (CRABP2). The expression pattern of the selected genes was consistent with the microarray data except for CXCL12 and IGF2. Interestingly, the expression of NPPB was dramatically downregulated along the time course; it was almost completely shut-down by the 10(th) passage. In contrast, FOLR3 mRNA expression was dramatically increased.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, although a function for NPPB and FOLR3 in stem cell senescence has not been reported, our results strongly suggest that NPPB and/or FOLR3 play a significant role in the regulation of stem cell senescence.

Cytogenetic perspective of ageing and longevity in men and women

Analysis of relationships between the ageing cell phenotype and the age of cell donors is one of the ways towards understanding the link between cellular and organismal ageing. Cytogenetically, ageing is associated with a number of gross cellular changes, including altered size and morphology, genomic instability, and changes in expression and proliferation. Genomic instability can be easily assessed by analyzing the level of cytogenetic aberrations. In this review, we focus on the differences in the level and profile of cytogenetic aberrations observed in donors of different age and gender. Centenarians are a small fraction of the population at the extreme of human longevity. Their inclusion in such studies may shed light on one of the basic questions: whether genome stability is better maintained in successfully aged individuals compared to the rest of the population. At the same time, comparing the profile of age-related amount of chromosomal aberrations in men and women may help explaining the commonly observed gender differences in longevity.

Adult stem cell maintenance and tissue regeneration in the ageing context: the role for A-type lamins as intrinsic modulators of ageing in adult stem cells and their niches

Adult stem cells have been identified in most mammalian tissues of the adult body and are known to support the continuous repair and regeneration of tissues. A generalized decline in tissue regenerative responses associated with age is believed to result from a depletion and/or a loss of function of adult stem cells, which itself may be a driving cause of many age-related disease pathologies. Here we review the striking similarities between tissue phenotypes seen in many degenerative conditions associated with old age and those reported in age-related nuclear envelope disorders caused by mutations in the LMNA gene. The concept is beginning to emerge that nuclear filament proteins, A-type lamins, may act as signalling receptors in the nucleus required for receiving and/or transducing upstream cytosolic signals in a number of pathways central to adult stem cell maintenance as well as adaptive responses to stress. We propose that during ageing and in diseases caused by lamin A mutations, dysfunction of the A-type lamin stress-resistant signalling network in adult stem cells, their progenitors and/or stem cell niches leads to a loss of protection against growth-related stress. This in turn triggers an inappropriate activation or a complete failure of self-renewal pathways with the consequent initiation of stress-induced senescence. As such, A-type lamins should be regarded as intrinsic modulators of ageing within adult stem cells and their niches that are essential for survival to old age.

Deletion of the developmentally essential gene ATR in adult mice leads to age-related phenotypes and stem cell loss

Developmental abnormalities, cancer, and premature aging each have been linked to defects in the DNA damage response (DDR). Mutations in the ATR checkpoint regulator cause developmental defects in mice (pregastrulation lethality) and humans (Seckel syndrome). Here we show that eliminating ATR in adult mice leads to defects in tissue homeostasis and the rapid appearance of age-related phenotypes, such as hair graying, alopecia, kyphosis, osteoporosis, thymic involution, fibrosis, and other abnormalities. Histological and genetic analyses indicate that ATR deletion causes acute cellular loss in tissues in which continuous cell proliferation is required for maintenance. Importantly, thymic involution, alopecia, and hair graying in ATR knockout mice were associated with dramatic reductions in tissue-specific stem and progenitor cells and exhaustion of tissue renewal and homeostatic capacity. In aggregate, these studies suggest that reduced regenerative capacity in adults via deletion of a developmentally essential DDR gene is sufficient to cause the premature appearance of age-related phenotypes.

DNA double-strand breaks: a potential causative factor for mammalian aging?

Aging is a pleiotropic and stochastic process influenced by both genetics and environment. As a result the fundamental underlying causes of aging are controversial and likely diverse. Genome maintenance and in particular the repair of DNA damage is critical to ensure longevity needed for reproduction and as a consequence imperfections or defects in maintaining the genome may contribute to aging. There are many forms of DNA damage with double-strand breaks (DSBs) being the most toxic. Here we discuss DNA DSBs as a potential causative factor for aging including factors that generate DNA DSBs, pathways that repair DNA DSBs, consequences of faulty or failed DSB repair and how these consequences may lead to age-dependent decline in fitness. At the end we compare mouse models of premature aging that are defective for repairing either DSBs or UV light-induced lesions. Based on these comparisons we believe the basic mechanisms responsible for their aging phenotypes are fundamentally different demonstrating the complex and pleiotropic nature of this process.

Replicative stress, stem cells and aging

DNA synthesis is a remarkably vulnerable phase in the cell cycle. In addition to introduction of errors during semi-conservative replication, the inherently labile structure of the replication fork, as well as numerous pitfalls encountered in the course of fork progression, make the normally stable double stranded molecule susceptible to collapse and recombination. As described in this issue, maintenance of genome integrity in the face of such events is essential to prevent the premature onset of age-related diseases. At the organismal level, the roles for such maintenance are numerous; however, the preservation of stem and progenitor cell pools may be particularly important as indicated by several genetically engineered mouse models. Stresses on stem and progenitor cell pools, in the form of telomere shortening (Terc(-/-)) or other genome maintenance failures (ATR(mKO), Ku86(-/-), LIG4(Y288C), XPD(R722W/R722W), etc.), have been shown to degrade tissue renewal capacity and accelerate the appearance of age-related phenotypes. In the case of telomere shortening, exhaustion of replicative potential appears to be at least partially dependent on the cell cycle regulatory component of the DNA damage response. Therefore, both the genome maintenance mechanisms that counter DNA damage and the cell cycle checkpoint responses to damage strongly influence the onset of age-related diseases and do so, at least in part, by affecting long-term stem and progenitor cell potential.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-2alpha transactivates Abcg2 and promotes cytoprotection in cardiac side population cells

Stem and progenitor cell populations occupy a specialized niche and are consequently exposed to hypoxic as well as oxidative stresses. We have previously established that the multidrug resistance protein Abcg2 is the molecular determinant of the side population (SP) progenitor cell population. We observed that the cardiac SP cells increase in number more than 3-fold within 3 days of injury. Transcriptome analysis of the SP cells isolated from the injured adult murine heart reveals increased expression of cytoprotective transcripts. Overexpression of Abcg2 results in an increased ability to consume hydrogen peroxide and is associated with increased levels of alpha-glutathione reductase protein expression. Importantly, overexpression of Abcg2 also conferred a cell survival benefit following exposure to hydrogen peroxide. To further examine the molecular regulation of the Abcg2 gene, we demonstrated that hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2alpha binds an evolutionary conserved HIF-2alpha response element in the murine Abcg2 promoter. Transcriptional assays reveal a dose-dependent activation of Abcg2 expression by HIF-2alpha. These results support the hypothesis that Abcg2 is a direct downstream target of HIF-2alpha which functions with other factors to initiate a cytoprotective program for this progenitor SP cell population that resides in the adult heart.

Influence of the TP53 codon 72 polymorphism on the cellular responses to X-irradiation in fibroblasts from nonagenarians

In mice, genetic modification of the gene encoding p53 affects both cancer incidence and longevity. In humans, we recently found that a TP53 codon 72 Arginine (Arg) to Proline (Pro) polymorphism affected both cancer incidence and longevity as well. The TP53 codon 72 polymorphism has previously been shown to influence the apoptotic potential of human cells in response to oxidative stress. Here, we studied the influence of this polymorphism on the cellular responses to X-irradiation of fibroblasts obtained from nonagenarians. We found that the average clonogenic survival after X-irradiation was similar for the three TP53 codon 72 genotype groups. As described before, X-irradiation did not induce an appreciable degree of apoptosis in human fibroblasts. However, percentages of senescence-associated (SA)-beta-galactosidase positive cells (p < 0.001), micronucleated cells (p < 0.001) and cells displaying abnormal nuclear morphologies (p < 0.001) significantly increased with the radiation dose. Compared to Arg/Arg fibroblasts, Pro/Pro fibroblasts exhibited higher irradiation dose-dependent increases in SA-beta-galactosidase positive cells (p(interaction) = 0.018), micronucleated cells (p(interaction) = 0.005) and cells displaying abnormal nuclear morphologies (p(interaction) = 0.029) at 3 days after irradiation. Possibly, these differences in cellular responses to stress between the TP53 codon 72 genotypes contribute to the differences in cancer incidence and longevity observed earlier for these genotypes.

Optimizing the patient for surgical treatment of the wound

Plastic surgeons are consulted often to close wounds that fail or are difficult to heal. Optimizing the patient's medical condition before surgical closure of a wound can mean the difference between a successful outcome and an undesirable one. It is imperative that plastic surgeons have an extensive knowledge of the modifiable risk factors affecting the wound-healing process and their subsequent complications. This knowledge allows the surgeon to tailor the treatment options and intervene when appropriate to optimize outcomes for successful surgical closure of a wound. Whether the impairments to wound healing and closure are local or systemic, they must be addressed appropriately.

Stem cell ageing: does it happen and can we intervene?

Adult stem cells have become the focus of intense research in recent years as a result of their role in the maintenance and repair of tissues. They exert this function through their extensive expansion (self-renewal) and multipotent differentiation capacity. Understanding whether adult stem cells retain this capacity throughout the lifespan of the individual, or undergo a process of ageing resulting in a decreased stem cell pool, is an important area of investigation. Progress in this area has been hampered by lack of suitable models and of appropriate markers and assays to identify stem cells. However, recent data suggest that an understanding of the mechanisms governing stem cell ageing can give insight into the mechanism of tissue ageing and, most importantly, advance our ability to use stem cells in cell and gene therapy strategies.

Brg1 chromatin remodeling factor is involved in cell growth arrest, apoptosis and senescence of rat mesenchymal stem cells

Self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation properties of stem cells are controlled by key transcription factors. However, their activity is modulated by chromatin remodeling factors that operate at the highest hierarchical level. Studies on these factors can be especially important to dissect molecular pathways governing the biology of stem cells. SWI/SNF complexes are adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent chromatin remodeling enzymes that have been shown to be required for cell cycle control, apoptosis and cell differentiation in several biological systems. The aim of our research was to investigate the role of these complexes in the biology of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). To this end, in MSCs we caused a forced expression of the ATPase subunit of SWI/SNF (Brg1 – also known as Smarca4) by adenoviral transduction. Forced Brg1 expression induced a significant cell cycle arrest of MSCs in culture. This was associated with a huge increase in apoptosis that reached a peak 3 days after transduction. In addition, we observed signs of senescence in cells having ectopic Brg1 expression. At the molecular level these phenomena were associated with activation of Rb- and p53-related pathways. Inhibition of either p53 or Rb with E1A mutated proteins allowed us to hypothesize that both Rb and p53 are indispensable for Brg1-induced senescence, whereas only p53 seems to play a role in triggering programmed cell death. We also looked at the effects of forced Brg1 expression on canonical MSC differentiation in adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteocytes. Brg1 did not induce cell differentiation per se; however, this protein could contribute, at least in part, to the adipocyte differentiation process.

In conclusion, our results suggest that whereas some ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors, such as ISWI complexes, promote stem cell self-renewal and conservation of an uncommitted state, others cause an escape from `stemness' and induction of differentiation along with senescence and cell death phenomena.

Reassessing the role of p53 in cancer and ageing from an evolutionary perspective

The gene p53 has been fashioned as the guardian of the genome and as prototype of the tumour suppressor gene (TSG) whose function must be inactivated in order for tumours to develop. The ubiquitous expression of truncated p53 protein isoforms, results in "premature ageing" of laboratory mouse strains engineered for expressing such isoforms. These facts have been construed in the argument that p53 evolved in order to protect organisms with renewable tissues from developing cancer yet, because p53 is also an inducer of cellular senescence or apoptosis after extensive DNA damage, it becomes a limiting factor for tissue renewal by depleting tissues from stem/precursor cells thus leading to whole-organism ageing. From that point of view p53 displays antagonist pleiotropy contributing to the establishment of degenerative diseases and ageing. Therefore, tumour suppression becomes a balancing act between cancer prevention and ageing. Nevertheless, here we present current evidence showing that the aforementioned argument is rather inconsistent and unwarranted on evolutionary grounds. The evolutionary perspective indicates that p53 evolved so as to play a subtle but very important role during development while its role as a TSG is only important in animals that are protected from most sources of extrinsic mortality, thus suggesting that p53 was primarily selected for its developmental role and not as a TSG. Therefore no real antagonist pleiotropy can be attached to p53 functions and their relationship with whole-organism ageing might be a laboratory artefact.

Gene expression profiling of aging reveals activation of a p53-mediated transcriptional program

BACKGROUND

Aging has been associated with widespread changes at the gene expression level in multiple mammalian tissues. We have used high density oligonucleotide arrays and novel statistical methods to identify specific transcriptional classes that may uncover biological processes that play a central role in mammalian aging.

RESULTS

We identified 712 transcripts that are differentially expressed in young (5 month old) and old (25-month old) mouse skeletal muscle. Caloric restriction (CR) completely or partially reversed 87% of the changes in expression. Examination of individual genes revealed a transcriptional profile indicative of increased p53 activity in the older muscle. To determine whether the increase in p53 activity is associated with transcriptional activation of apoptotic targets, we performed RT-PCR on four well known mediators of p53-induced apoptosis: puma, noxa, tnfrsf10b and bok. Expression levels for these proapoptotic genes increased significantly with age (P < 0.05), while CR significantly lowered expression levels for these genes as compared to control fed old mice (P < 0.05). Age-related induction of p53-related genes was observed in multiple tissues, but was not observed in young SOD2+/- and GPX4+/- mice, suggesting that oxidative stress does not induce the expression of these genes. Western blot analysis confirmed that protein levels for both p21 and GADD45a, two established transcriptional targets of p53, were higher in the older muscle tissue.

CONCLUSION

These observations support a role for p53-mediated transcriptional program in mammalian aging and suggest that mechanisms other than reactive oxygen species are involved in the age-related transcriptional activation of p53 targets.

Simulating mouse mammary gland development: cell ageing and its relation to stem and progenitor activity

BACKGROUND

Somatic stem and progenitor cell division is likely to be an important determinant of tumor development. Each division is accompanied by a risk of fixing genetic mutations, and/or generating innately immortal cells that escape normal physiological controls.

AIM

Using biological information, we aimed to devise a theoretical model for mammary gland development that described the effect of various stem/progenitor cells activities on the demographics of adult mammary epithelial cell populations.

RESULTS

We found that mammary ductal trees should develop in juvenile mice despite widely variant levels of activity in the progenitor compartment. Sequestration (inactivation) of progenitor cells dramatically affected the aging-maturation of the population without affecting the total regenerative capacity of the gland. Our results showed that if stem and progenitor cells can be demonstrated in glands regenerated by serial transplantation, they originated in a canonical primary stem cell (providing a functional definition of mammary stem cells). Finally, when the probability of symmetric division of stem cells increased above a threshold, the mammary epithelial population overall was immortal during serial transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS

This model provides, (1) a theoretical framework for testing whether the phenotypes of genetically modified mice (many of which are breast cancer models) derive from changes of stem and progenitor activity, and (2) a means to evaluate the resolving power of functional assays of regenerative capacity in mammary epithelial cell populations.

Human stem cells, chromatin, and tissue engineering: Boosting relevancy in developmental toxicity testing

Risk assessment derives its confidence from toxicology research that is based on relevancy to human health. This article focuses on two highly topical areas of current scientific research, stem cells and chromatin biology, which present new avenues for preclinical and clinical applications, and the frontier role of tissue engineering and regeneration. Appreciating the utility and necessity of chromatin and human somatic stem cells as research tools and looking toward tissue engineering may close the uncertainty gaps between animal and human cross-species toxicology evaluations. The focus will be on developmental toxicology applications, but appropriate extrapolation to any other areas of toxicology can be made. We further provide background on basic biology of these three areas and examples of how early life exposure to known and potential environmental toxicants induce malformations, childhood and adult-onset diseases, through aberrant chromatin modification of critical gene expressions (acute lymphocyte leukemia, heavy-metal nickel and cadmium-associated defects, and reproductive tract malformations and carcinomas induced by the synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol).

Stressed stem cells: Temperature response in aged mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from young (6 week) and aged (56 week) Wistar rats were cultured at standard (37 degrees C) and reduced (32 degrees C) temperature and compared for age markers and stress levels. (ROS, NO, TBARS, carbonyls, lipofuscin, SOD, GPx, apoptosis, proteasome activity) and heat shock proteins (HSP27, -60, -70, -90). Aged MSCs display many of the stress markers associated with aging in other cell types, but results vary across marker categories and are temperature dependant. In young MSCs, culturing at reduced temperature had a generally beneficial effect: the anti-apoptotic heat shock proteins HSP 27, HSP70, and HSP90 were up-regulated; pro-apoptotic HSP60 was downregulated; SOD, GPx increased; and levels in ROS, NO, TBARS, carbonyl, and lipofuscin were diminished. Apoptosis was reduced, but also proteasome activity. In contrast, in aged MSCs, culturing at reduced temperature generally produced no 'beneficial' changes in these parameters, and can even have detrimental effects. Implications for tissue engineering and for stem cell gerontology are discussed. The results suggest that a 'hormesis' theory of stress response can be extended to MSCs, but that cooling cultivation temperature stress produces positive effects in young cells only.

Molecular markers in the diagnosis of prostate cancer

The genetic alterations leading to prostate cancer are gradually being discovered. A wide variety of genes have been associated with prostate cancer development as well as tumor progression. Knowledge of gene polymorphisms associated with disease aid in the understanding of important pathways involved in this process and may result in the near future in clinical applications. Urinary molecular markers will soon be available to aid in the decision of repeat prostate biopsies. Recent findings suggest the importance of androgen signaling in disease development and progression. The further understanding of interaction of inflammation, diet, and genetic predisposition will improve risk stratification in the near future.

Age-related impairment of mesenchymal progenitor cell function

In most mesenchymal tissues a subcompartment of multipotent progenitor cells is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the tissue following trauma. With increasing age, the ability of tissues to repair themselves is diminished, which may be due to reduced functional capacity of the progenitor cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on rat mesenchymal progenitor cells. Mesenchymal progenitor cells were isolated from Wistar rats aged 3, 7, 12 and 56 weeks. Viability, capacity for differentiation and cellular aging were examined. Cells from the oldest group accumulated raised levels of oxidized proteins and lipids and showed decreased levels of antioxidative enzyme activity. This was reflected in decreased fibroblast colony-forming unit (CFU-f) numbers, increased levels of apoptosis and reduced proliferation and potential for differentiation. These data suggest that the reduced ability to maintain mesenchymal tissue homeostasis in aged mammals is not purely due to a decline in progenitor cells numbers but also to a loss of progenitor functionality due to the accumulation of oxidative damage, which may in turn be a causative factor in a number of age-related pathologies such as arthritis, tendinosis and osteoporosis.

Sirt1 inhibitor, Sirtinol, induces senescence-like growth arrest with attenuated Ras-MAPK signaling in human cancer cells

The induction of senescence-like growth arrest has emerged as a putative contributor to the anticancer effects of chemotherapeutic agents. Clinical trials are underway to evaluate the efficacy of inhibitors for class I and II histone deacetylases to treat malignancies. However, a potential antiproliferative effect of inhibitor for Sirt1, which is an NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase and belongs to class III histone deacetylases, has not yet been explored. Here, we show that Sirt1 inhibitor, Sirtinol, induced senescence-like growth arrest characterized by induction of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity and increased expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and lung cancer H1299 cells. Sirtinol-induced senescence-like growth arrest was accompanied by impaired activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, namely, extracellular-regulated protein kinase, c-jun N-terminal kinase and p38 MAPK, in response to epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Active Ras was reduced in Sirtinol-treated senescent cells compared with untreated cells. However, tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptors for EGF and IGF-I and Akt/PKB activation were unaltered by Sirtinol treatment. These results suggest that inhibitors for Sirt1 may have anticancer potential, and that impaired activation of Ras-MAPK pathway might take part in a senescence-like growth arrest program induced by Sirtinol.

Senescence and cell cycle control

In response to various stresses, such as telomere shortening during continuous proliferation, oxidative stress, DNA damage and aberrant oncogene activation, normal cells undergo cellular senescence, which is a stable postmitotic state with particular morphology and metabolism. Signaling that induces senescence involves two major tumor suppressor cascades, i.e., the INK4a-Rb pathway and the ARF-p53 pathway. Diverse stimuli upregulate these interacting pathways, which orchestrate exit from the cell cycle. Recent studies have provided insights into substantial differences in senescence-inducing signals in primary cells of human and rodent origins. This review is focused on recent advances in understanding the roles of the tumor-suppressive pathways in senescence.

Defective induction of senescence during wound healing is a possible mechanism of keloid formation

Keloids are a hyperproliferative response of connective tissue in response to trauma. The mechanism by which this occurs is poorly understood and currently no successful treatment exists.

HYPOTHESIS

Senescent fibroblasts form during wound repair, as the result of oxidative stress. They have a major role in the control of fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis, acting as inhibitors. The defective induction of stress-induced senescent phenotype (SIPS) creates an insufficient number of senescent cells, diminishing the inhibitor effect, causing the uncontrolled hyperproliferation and keloid formation. In the proposed mechanism of keloid formation, fibroblasts have a major role, but it is also possible that other cells are involved, like keratinocytes and melanocytes. Accepting the hypothesis to be correct, a therapy that induces senescence can be used to prevent the keloid formation. Current therapies are only partially effective because they either induce senescence in too few cells or in enough number of cells, but at the same time inducing death (apoptosis and necrosis) of other cells. Dead cells are probably the source of a new repair cycle (proliferation), therefore the process of keloid formation is only postponed but not blocked. A more efficient prevention of keloid formation could be achieved using specific drugs or physical methods that induce senescence and not cell death. Therapies based on photodynamic and PUVA therapy, capable to induce predominantly cell senescence, can be possibly effective. The magnitude of oxidative stress, created during photodynamic therapy, can be reduced and used to produce sublethal doses, to cause senescence instead of cell death. Except standard photosensitizers, other drugs could be used, that are not so powerful in inducing oxidative stress, i.e. amphotericin B in combination with UV light.

Electron transfer between cytochrome c and p66Shc generates reactive oxygen species that trigger mitochondrial apoptosis

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are potent inducers of oxidative damage and have been implicated in the regulation of specific cellular functions, including apoptosis. Mitochondrial ROS increase markedly after proapoptotic signals, though the biological significance and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain undetermined. P66Shc is a genetic determinant of life span in mammals, which regulates ROS metabolism and apoptosis. We report here that p66Shc is a redox enzyme that generates mitochondrial ROS (hydrogen peroxide) as signaling molecules for apoptosis. For this function, p66Shc utilizes reducing equivalents of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain through the oxidation of cytochrome c. Redox-defective mutants of p66Shc are unable to induce mitochondrial ROS generation and swelling in vitro or to mediate mitochondrial apoptosis in vivo. These data demonstrate the existence of alternative redox reactions of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain, which evolved to generate proapoptotic ROS in response to specific stress signals.

Molecular events in kidney ageing

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Ageing of the kidney is a problem of clinical and basic interest. The problem of renal dysfunction and end-stage renal disease is a major burden on the health system, and old donor age is a major limitation on the use of donor organs and on survival of transplanted kidneys. Moreover, stresses linked to nephropathies, postoperative stress, inflammation and allograft rejection can lead to premature senescence of renal cells thus accelerating organ atrophy. Age-related and disease or stress-related nephron loss could reflect both the limited ability of epithelial cells to repair and replicate in the face of environmental stresses, and limitations on the number of cell replications caused by telomere shortening. Therefore, elucidating cellular senescence mechanisms is relevant to kidney diseases and kidney transplantation.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent findings suggest additive effects of replicative and environmental stress-induced senescence in cellular and organ ageing. In particular, ATM/p53/p21 and Ras/p38/p16 pathways have been shown to co-contribute to the overall cellular senescence, which is caused by extrinsic and intrinsic stimuli. Moreover, the role of epigenetic factors, including protein acylation/deacetylation, chromatin remodeling or caloric restriction, is the focus of recent studies on ageing and senescence.

SUMMARY

Despite significant progress, cellular senescence is still better understood in vitro than in vivo. So far, p16 remains the best marker of chronological age in the kidney, and can be considered as an indicator of premature senescence caused by stresses or disease. The beneficial effects of caloric restriction on organ ageing and the role of histone acetylation in pathologic states in rodents are of considerable interest, and deserve future studies.

Telomere dysfunction in aging and cancer

Telomeres are unique DNA-protein structures that contain noncoding TTAGGG repeats and telomere-associated proteins. These specialized structures are essential for maintaining genomic integrity. Alterations that lead to the disruption of telomere maintenance result in chromosome end-to-end fusions and/or ends being recognized as double-strand breaks. A large body of evidence suggests that the cell responds to dysfunctional telomeres by undergoing senescence, apoptosis, or genomic instability. In conjunction with other predisposing mechanisms, the genomic instability encountered in preimmortal cells due to dysfunctional or uncapped telomeres might lead to cancer. Furthermore, telomere dysfunction has been proposed to play critical roles in aging as well as cancer progression. Conversely, recent evidence has shown that targeting telomere maintenance mechanisms and inducing telomere dysfunction in cancer cells by inhibiting telomerase can lead to catastrophic events including rapid cell death and increased sensitivity to other cancer therapeutics. Thus, given the major role telomeres play during development, it is important to continue our understanding telomere structure, function and maintenance. Herein, we provide an overview of the emerging knowledge of telomere dysfunction and how it relates to possible links between aging and cancer.

DNA repair, genome stability, and aging

Aging can be defined as progressive functional decline and increasing mortality over time. Here, we review evidence linking aging to nuclear DNA lesions: DNA damage accumulates with age, and DNA repair defects can cause phenotypes resembling premature aging. We discuss how cellular DNA damage responses may contribute to manifestations of aging. We review Sir2, a factor linking genomic stability, metabolism, and aging. We conclude with a general discussion of the role of mutant mice in aging research and avenues for future investigation.

The telomerase cycle: normal and pathological aspects

Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes that cap the end of eukaryotic chromosomes and are essential for their function and stability. Telomerase, a reverse transcriptase that extends the single-stranded G-rich 3' protruding ends of chromosomes, stabilizes telomere length in germ line cells and regenerative tissues as well as in tumor cells. In the absence of telomerase telomeres shorten with cell division, a process able to trigger cell growth arrest. When telomerase is present in the cell, its activity is tightly regulated at its site of action by factors specifically bound to the telomeric DNA. Recent data indicate that telomeres reorganize during the cell cycle. This review summarizes our current knowledge on how telomeres are dynamically organized and remodeled during cell cycle and stress response, pointing out the conservation and the difference between yeast and human. We then focus on the cellular consequences of telomere modifications in normal and cancer cells. This leads to a discussion of the different roles, seemingly contradictory, of telomeres and telomerase during the initiation and the progression of a cancer.