Senescent cells: an emerging target for diseases of ageing

Cellular senescence is causally linked to ageing and has been implicated in a variety of age-related diseases. Here, van Deursen and colleagues review the characteristics of senescent cells and highlight evidence for a role of these cells in diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis. Emerging strategies for therapeutically targeting senescent cells and the associated challenges are discussed. Chronological age represents the single greatest risk factor for human disease. One plausible explanation for this correlation is that mechanisms that drive ageing might also promote age-related diseases. Cellular senescence, which is a permanent state of cell cycle arrest induced by cellular stress, has recently emerged as a fundamental ageing mechanism that also contributes to diseases of late life, including cancer, atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis. Therapeutic strategies that safely interfere with the detrimental effects of cellular senescence, such as the selective elimination of senescent cells (SNCs) or the disruption of the SNC secretome, are gaining significant attention, with several programmes now nearing human clinical studies.