Cellular senescence is commonly described as a double-edged sword with both beneficial and detrimental outcomes in cancer. Despite its role in restraining malignant cells proliferation, oncogene-induced senescence can also occur in neighboring tissue and immune cells both enhancing and dampening antitumor response. Through the release of different cytokines (senescence-associated secretory phenotypes [SASP]), senescence of both cancer and immune infiltrating cells can exacerbate the onset of a pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive microenvironment leading to tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis.
The project addresses an urgent clinical issue: the underpinning of the predominant features of these dysfunctional immune cells and their crosstalk with other components of the Cancer Microenvironment. These will lead to the discovery of new mechanisms of immune evasion and therapy resistance for several human malignancies. Indeed, the systemic administration of cancer therapy often generates a pool of senescent cells in non-malignant areas which may cause the early onset and progression of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, fibrotic, and neurodegenerative diseases, which normally are observed at an advanced age. Additional strategies to limit the detrimental effects of therapy-induced senescent cells are needed.
In this Research Topic, we aim to bring together researchers from the senescence field to build up a wide and comprehensive landscape of the various aspects of this stress response program occurring in immune cells both in the periphery and in tumor tissue. We welcome the submission of Review, Original Research, Perspective, Clinical Trial and Case Report covering, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
(1) Our current understanding of the distinct functions of senescence-associated immune response in tumor surveillance and progression
(2) An underpinning of inhibitory signaling which is reported to regulate the senescence process in immune cells in cancer patients.
(3) The complex relationships between cancer-stroma-cancer stem cells (CSCs)-endothelial cells and how these cells contribute to senescence spreading to the immune compartment
(4) The contribution of molecular aberrations to cancer immune escape through the induction of senescence or exhaustion signature in innate and adaptive immune cells
(5) The immune senescent profile as a new biomarker of cancer disease and progression
(6) The role of an aberrant immune cell environment as a mechanism of therapy-induced resistance.
Cellular senescence is commonly described as a double-edged sword with both beneficial and detrimental outcomes in cancer. Despite its role in restraining malignant cells proliferation, oncogene-induced senescence can also occur in neighboring tissue and immune cells both enhancing and dampening antitumor response. Through the release of different cytokines (senescence-associated secretory phenotypes [SASP]), senescence of both cancer and immune infiltrating cells can exacerbate the onset of a pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive microenvironment leading to tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis.
The project addresses an urgent clinical issue: the underpinning of the predominant features of these dysfunctional immune cells and their crosstalk with other components of the Cancer Microenvironment. These will lead to the discovery of new mechanisms of immune evasion and therapy resistance for several human malignancies. Indeed, the systemic administration of cancer therapy often generates a pool of senescent cells in non-malignant areas which may cause the early onset and progression of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, fibrotic, and neurodegenerative diseases, which normally are observed at an advanced age. Additional strategies to limit the detrimental effects of therapy-induced senescent cells are needed.
In this Research Topic, we aim to bring together researchers from the senescence field to build up a wide and comprehensive landscape of the various aspects of this stress response program occurring in immune cells both in the periphery and in tumor tissue. We welcome the submission of Review, Original Research, Perspective, Clinical Trial and Case Report covering, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
(1) Our current understanding of the distinct functions of senescence-associated immune response in tumor surveillance and progression
(2) An underpinning of inhibitory signaling which is reported to regulate the senescence process in immune cells in cancer patients.
(3) The complex relationships between cancer-stroma-cancer stem cells (CSCs)-endothelial cells and how these cells contribute to senescence spreading to the immune compartment
(4) The contribution of molecular aberrations to cancer immune escape through the induction of senescence or exhaustion signature in innate and adaptive immune cells
(5) The immune senescent profile as a new biomarker of cancer disease and progression
(6) The role of an aberrant immune cell environment as a mechanism of therapy-induced resistance.