Pharmacologic Inhibition of Cardiac Stem Cell Senescence

Mammalian aging may be viewed as a reduction in the capacity to adequately maintain tissue homeostasis or to repair tissues after injury(Sharpless and DePinho, 2007). When homeostatic control diminishes to the point at which tissue/organ integrity and function are no longer sufficiently maintained, physiological decline develops, and aging becomes apparent. Cells that express senescence markers accumulate at sites of chronic age-related pathology, such as osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis and chronic heart failure(Blasco, 2007; Campisi and d'Adda di Fagagna, 2007; Chimenti, et al., 2003; Deng, et al., 2008; Jeyapalan and Sedivy, 2008; Minamino and Komuro, 2008; Sharpless and DePinho, 2007; Shawi and Autexier, 2008; Torella, et al., 2004; Urbanek, et al., 2005). Thus, senescent cells are associated with aging and age-related diseases in vivo(Campisi, 2011).