Ameliorating ageing, age-related diseases and cancer by targeting senescence and the p53 pathway.

Ageing is a biological process caused in part by the accumulation of "old" (senescent) cells. These cells, though metabolically active, are permanently and irreversibly arrested. It has been shown that senescent cells interfere with some biological processes, leading to the phenotypic changes commonly associated with ageing, as well as age-related disease. Moreover, preventing the accumulation of senescent cells delays ageing in mammalian models of ageing. The genetic factors which establish and maintain senescent cells are heterogenous and have not been fully characterised, and so the phenotype is still poorly understood. This project aims to better characterise senescent cells and define novel biomarkers for identification and targeting of senescence, as well as determining roles of potential senescence effectors. This could allow the percentage of senescent cells in tissues to be calculated and thus make links with chronological ageing to be used as a prognostic marker in future. Using this information, new protocols for clearing senescent cells can be established with the aim to increase the lifespan but, perhaps more significantly, the healthspan of humans in the future.