Regenerative MedicineHow Senescent Cells Drive Aging and What We Can Do About It
Aging and cellular senescence are often confused, but they are distinct biological processes. Aging refers to the body-wide decline in function over time, while cellular senescence is when individual cells permanently stop dividing after stress — from DNA damage, shortened telomeres, epigenetic shifts, or mitochondrial problems. This review from University of Verona researchers clarifies how these two processes differ yet powerfully interact. As senescent cells accumulate, they release a harmful cocktail of inflammatory signals known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, or SASP, which accelerates tissue deterioration. The authors survey emerging biomarkers that can detect senescent cell burden and highlight two promising therapeutic directions: senolytics, drugs that selectively destroy senescent cells, and partial reprogramming, which resets cellular aging clocks without fully reverting cell identity. Together, these approaches may open new doors for treating age-related diseases.
