演題：A double-edged sword: Cellular senescence in mammary gland developmentand breast cancer

演者：Dr. Han LI

(Principle Investigator, Head of Unit

 Dept of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, France)

抄録：

Cellular senescence is a stress response that enforces stable cell-cycle arrest, classically known for its role in tumour suppression but also implicated in ageing. Recent studies have expanded its functions to embryonic development and tissue regeneration. Our work and others have shown that senescence promotes cellular plasticity and facilitates in vivo reprogramming, suggesting a general principle by which it can support tissue repair. Yet, the consequences of senescence in physiological contexts, especially when coinciding with oncogenic events, remain unclear.

We found that senescence is induced during postpartum mammary gland involution. Through genetic and pharmacological approaches, we demonstrate that p16-dependent senescence supports tissue remodelling during involution but also enhances tumour-initiating cell plasticity via the SASP. Notably, eliminating senescent cells with the senolytic ABT-263 significantly delayed tumour onset and reduced metastasis, identifying senescence as a potential therapeutic target in postpartum breast cancer (PPBC).Our findings reveal a dual role for senescence in postpartum involution: essential for physiological tissue remodelling yet exploitable by cancer. This establishes a critical link between physiological senescence and tumour progression, providing new insights into how senescence contributes to cancer in an age- and context-dependent manner.

日　時：２０２５年９月２４日(水)　１１:００〜１２:００

場　所：研究棟　セミナー室Ｂ