Chromosomal instability (CIN) refers to the rate at which cells are unable to properly segregate whole chromosomes, leading to aneuploidy. Besides its prevalence in cancer cells and postulated implications in promoting tumorigenesis, studies in aneuploidy-prone mouse models uncovered an unanticipated link between CIN and aging. Using young to old-aged human dermal fibroblasts, we observed a dysfunction of the mitotic machinery arising with age that mildly perturbs chromosome segregation fidelity and contributes to the generation of fully senescent cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAging refers to the progressive deterioration of tissue and organ function over time. Increasing evidence points to the accumulation of highly damaged cell cycle-arrested cells with age (cellular senescence) as major reason for the development of certain aging-associated diseases. Recent studies have independently shown that aneuploidy, an abnormal chromosome set, occurs in senescent cells, and that the accumulation of cytoplasmic DNA driven by faulty chromosome segregation during mitosis aids in the establishment of senescence and its associated secretory phenotype known as SASP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn abnormal chromosome number, a condition known as aneuploidy, is a ubiquitous feature of cancer cells. A number of studies have shown that aneuploidy impairs cellular fitness. However, there is also evidence that aneuploidy can arise in response to specific challenges and can confer a selective advantage under certain environmental stresses.
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