Identifying the mechanisms of persistent mTORC1 in senescence

Due to improvements in diet, sanitation and medicine, we are living longer, healthier lives. However, our ageing population represent some of the most significant biomedical, social and economic challenges in Western society. Understanding how we age is essential to develop interventions improve healthy ageing. Most cells are constantly growing and dividing but over time, as a result of stress and damage, there is an accumulation of non-dividing cells, called senescent cells that contribute to ageing. Growth pathways are still active in senescent cells making them bigger and producing inflammatory proteins and this is because they lose the ability to sense the availability of nutrients. My project aims to use senescence to better understand how healthy cells sense and respond to nutrients, how it goes wrong in ageing and whether we can use this knowledge to eliminate senescent cells and improve healthspan.