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Eliminating senescent cells could help treat breast, pancreatic cancers 

Shown is a human breast tumor sample. The white arrows point to senescent cells in the tumor. Eliminating senescent cells, which drive inflammation, could become a new treatment strategy aimed at making immunotherapies and chemotherapies more effective. (Image: Stewart lab)
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Two studies from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis focused on breast cancer and pancreatic cancer suggest that specific types of senescent cells — cells that have stopped dividing and drive inflammation — may play important roles in suppressing the immune system and allowing such tumors to grow unchecked.