Cytokine-Induced Senescence: An Experimental Treatment of Peritoneal Tumors

Abstract

Immune responses may control tumorigenesis and metastasis. Most antitumor interventions have been designed to boost the immune system in its fight to destroy cancerous cells. In the last decades, the biological mechanisms of tumor immune control have been mainly studied in the context of cancer cell destruction. Thus, tumor dormancy is still considered as an equilibrium between cell proliferation and cell death, i.e., cancer cell apoptosis, cancer cell lysis, or pyroptosis. Here, we propose cellular senescence induced by recombinant cytokines, e.g., interferon-α (IFN-α) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), as a novel therapeutic regimen, especially for the treatment of intraperitoneal tumors. Immunity-induced senescence triggers a stable cell-cycle arrest of cancer cells and engages the immune system to construct a defensive, isolating barrier around the tumors. These newly developed therapies aim at controlling the tumor burden by transforming the deadly disease into a chronic one.