Uncontrolled cell proliferation is key to cancer development and a number of tumor suppressor proteins function to negatively regulate cell cycle progression, either transiently or through a permanent cell cycle arrest known as cellular senescence. Loss of the normal mechanisms regulating cell cycle progression and senescence contribute to the development of most cancers. This session will cover some recent developments in understanding the molecular events that control normal cell cycle progression and senescence. The session will discuss new data on the pathways that control progress through mitosis, and novel insights into the function of the p27 cell cycle regulator. The session will also discuss surprising deleterious effects of senescence - for example in aging - and the senescence-associated secretion of proteins that can have a profound effect on promoting the aggressiveness of neighboring cancer cells. Finally, the session will discuss role of the p53 tumor suppressor protein in controlling senescence and cell survival.
Symposium: Cell Cycle and Senescence in Cancer

Regulation of mitosis by protein phosphorylation and degradation; Marcos Malumbres. Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Madrid, Spain

Functional regulation of the Cdk inhibitor p27: Both loss and gain of function promote cancer progression; Joyce M. Slingerland. Univ. of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL

The senescence-associated secretory phenotype; Judith Campisi. Buck Institute for Age Research, Novato, CA

Functions of p53 in cell senescence and survival; Karen H. Vousden. The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom,