Tumor Suppressor Theory of Aging
The tumor suppressor theory of aging proposes that cellular mechanisms evolved to prevent cancer contribute directly to aging processes through tissue damage and stem cell depletion.
Mechanism
Cells accumulate DNA damage over time, triggering tumor suppressor responses:
- Kill the damaged cells (apoptosis)
- Stop them from dividing forever (cellular senescence)
These responses effectively prevent cancer but also remove functional cells from tissues and reduce regenerative capacity. Chronic activation of these pathways produces aging phenotypes.
p53: the master switch
The protein p53 sits at the center of this trade-off. When cells detect DNA damage, p53 decides whether to repair it, kill the cell, or shut it down
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