Narita Group
Cellular senescence and tumour suppressors
Research Summary
We study how stress affects our cells, causing them to age and stop working properly. Our DNA, which contains our genetic information, can get damaged over time due to aging or UV light, making cells stop functioning as they should. These aged cells, known as senescent cells, no longer help repair our bodies. We aim to understand how this process works, including how DNA organisation affects cell changes, how certain genes linked to cancer cause cells to age, and how the buildup of these aged cells over time leads to aging.
Introduction
Senescence is a state of persistent cell cycle arrest triggered by various stimuli but senescent are not inert. Rather they actively communicate with their surroundings, shaping the tissue microenvironment and potentially burdening the individual, especially in aging but also in cancer. We are particularly interested in understanding what senescent cells do to tissues and how they achieve such altered functionality.
Professor Masashi Narita
Senior Group Leader
Focus areas
Group members
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Masashi Narita
Group Leader
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Masako Narita
Principal Scientific Associate
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Andrew Young
Principal Scientific Associate
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Adelyne Chan
Research Associate
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Ioana Olan
Research Associate
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Yongmin Kwon
Postgraduate Student
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Tetsuya Handa
Postgraduate Student
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Haoran Zhu
Research Associate
Related News
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Mutations in liver cells linked to liver disease and fat metabolism
13th October 2021
Research from the Narita Group and their collaborators has identified mutations linking liver disease with obesity and diabetes, leading to new understanding about how systemic diseases interact.
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Accumulation of DNA mutations found in healthy liver leads to disease
28th October 2019
Scientists have made new insights into the journey from health to disease in the human liver.
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UK-Japan collaboration to understand epigenomes and ageing
9th August 2019
The Narita Group have been awarded £490,000 to study epigenomes and ageing from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Fund for International Collaboration, in a joint call with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
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Publications
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Senescence-induced endothelial phenotypes underpin immune-mediated senescence surveillance.
E-pub date: 1 May 2022
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Locus-specific induction of gene expression from heterochromatin loci during cellular senescence
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2020
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Transcription-dependent cohesin repositioning rewires chromatin loops in cellular senescence.
E-pub date: 27 Nov 2020
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Temporal inhibition of autophagy reveals segmental reversal of ageing with increased cancer risk.
E-pub date: 16 Jan 2020