Figure 1.

Cancer and ageing and their interrelationships are two sides of the same coin. Cell senescence and tumour transformation are regulated by common preserved pathways in which p53 has a central role. These processes are modulated at several levels and other factors can influence this relationship. The appearance of a SASP as a response to cell damage that can contribute to cancer is also restrained by p53. The immune response, both innate and adaptive, can also have a significant role in cancer development. In certain circumstances it is clearly established that the immune response contributes to the elimination of transformed cells, whereas in other cases, it can produce factors that promote tumour growth. AGR, anterior gradient homologue; ARF, alternative reading frame; CARF, collaborator of alternative reading frame; ROS, reactive oxygen species; SASP, senescence-associated secretory phenotype.