Cellular Senescence: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential

• Published in: Biomedicines Vol. 9; no. 12; p. 1769
• Main Authors: Liao, Zehuan, Yeo, Han Lin, Wong, Siaw Wen, Zhao, Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.11.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Aging; Arteriosclerosis; Autophagy; Biomarkers; cancer; Cell cycle; Cell growth; Chromatin remodeling; Chromosomes; DNA damage; Evolution; Hypotheses; Morphogenesis; Phenotypes; Physiology; Proteins; Review; Senescence; senotherapy; Telomerase; β-Galactosidase; senescence; senotherapy; cancer; aging
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9121769

Cellular senescence is a complex and multistep biological process which cells can undergo in response to different stresses. Referring to a highly stable cell cycle arrest, cellular senescence can influence a multitude of biological processes—both physiologically and pathologically. While phenotypically diverse, characteristics of senescence include the expression of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, cell cycle arrest factors, senescence-associated β-galactosidase, morphogenesis, and chromatin remodelling. Persistent senescence is associated with pathologies such as aging, while transient senescence is associated with beneficial programmes, such as limb patterning. With these implications, senescence-based translational studies, namely senotherapy and pro-senescence therapy, are well underway to find the cure to complicated diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis. Being a subject of major interest only in the recent decades, much remains to be studied, such as regarding the identification of unique biomarkers of senescent cells. This review attempts to provide a comprehensive understanding of the diverse literature on senescence, and discuss the knowledge we have on senescence thus far.