Substrate stiffness regulates inflammatory behavior of senescent cells

Senescence is a state of quiescence, when cells no longer proliferate, and senescence becomes more evident as we age. While this natural process can be beneficial in slowing the appearance of cancer, senescent cells have a detrimental effect on tissue maintenance due to the secretion of endogenous factors that result in a local inflammatory environment. The senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is a key indicator of senescent cells, and recent work from Kent Leach's lab describes the influence of substrate stiffness on SASP secretion. Funded in part by the MuSCLE T32 (trainee Andie Filler), this work shows the importance of regulating the microenvironment on SASP production and eventual tissue formation. Read the full article in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbm.a.37657