IMR90 ER:RAS: A cell model of oncogene-induced senescence

Abstract

Oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) is a cellular response that limits the replication of cells expressing oncogenes. As a result, OIS is a potent tumor suppressor mechanism limiting cancer progression. Here we describe IMR90 ER:RAS, a widely used model to study OIS in cell culture. This model takes advantage of IMR90 human primary fibroblast infected with a 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen (4-OHT) inducible ER:RAS construct. RAS activation upon 4-OHT treatment results in a coordinated induction of senescence, recapitulating different aspects of the phenotype such as the growth arrest and the establishment of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP).