Cancer and Aging - the Inflammatory Connection

Abstract

Aging and cancer are highly correlated biological phenomena. Various cellular processes such as DNA damage responses and cellular senescence that serve as tumor suppressing mechanisms throughout life result in degenerative changes and contribute to the aging phenotype. In turn, aging is considered a pro-tumorigenic state, and constitutes the single most important risk factor for cancer development. However, the causative relations between aging and cancer is not straight forward, as these processes carry contradictory hallmarks; While aging is characterized by tissue degeneration and organ loss of function, cancer is a state of sustained cellular proliferation and gain of new functions. Here, we review the molecular and cellular pathways that stand in the base of aging related cancer. Specifically, we deal with the inflammatory perspective that link these two processes, and suggest possible molecular targets that may be exploited to modify their courses.

Comprehensive transcriptome profiling in elderly cancer patients reveals aging‐altered immune cells and immune checkpoints

“…Aging could markedly increase the probability to develop invasive cancers, especially for prostate cancer in men, breast cancer in women, lung and colorectal cancer in both sexes . Aging and cancer are highly correlated biological phenomena, but their causative relation is not straightforward and still under extensive studies . Although much effort was made to study why aging causes cancer, less attention was paid to the unique features of cancer in elderly patients.…”

“…1 Aging and cancer are highly correlated biological phenomena, but their causative relation is not straightforward and still under extensive studies. 2,3 Although much effort was made to study why aging causes cancer, less attention was paid to the unique features of cancer in elderly patients. Several previous studies have revealed some transcriptomics signatures of aging in different tissues.…”

Ophiopogon Saponin C1 Inhibits Lung Tumors by Stabilizing Endothelium Permeability via Inhibition of PKCδ

“…High levels of inflammation in tumor-bearing mice can increase vascular permeability, and tumor tissues also secrete many factors to induce the destruction of vascular endothelial integrity [31,32]. Along with the deterioration of other tissues during the aging process, immune system function declines as well [33]. Hence, immune surveillance is a key factor in preventing cancer progression, and immunosenescence is another important factor that links tumorigenesis and aging [34].…”

Age-Related Thymic Atrophy: Mechanisms and Outcomes

“…Age-related changes to immune system function, often referred to as immunosenescence [17][18][19][20], are generally thought of as immune insufficiency, such as reduced anti-infection and vaccine immunity [21] and reduced tumor surveillance [22,23]. However, self-reactive immune responses are elevated in the elderly, which is a result of inflammaging, a chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammatory phenotype in the absence of acute infection observed in aged individuals [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31].…”