Abstract
Senescent cells are intrinsically immunogenic and can be eliminated by the immune system to facilitate tissue repair and regeneration. However, immune-mediated elimination is compromised with age, causing senescent cell accumulation in tissues, thus limiting healthspan and lifespan and promoting age-related diseases such as cancer. Here, we review how different components of the innate and adaptive immune systems, including natural killer cells, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, T cells and B cells, target senescent cells and how the intrinsic properties of senescent cells can lead to their escape from surveillance. We also discuss the phenomenon of senescence in immune cells themselves and how this affects the surveillance of senescent and cancerous cells. Finally, we touch on emerging therapeutic strategies to enhance the immunosurveillance of senescent cells, as understanding the molecular basis of senescence immunosurveillance and why its potency fails during aging may offer opportunities to treat senescence-mediated age-associated diseases and tissue dysfunction.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1415-1424 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Nature Aging |
| Volume | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2025 |
Funding
V.K. was supported by grants from the European Research Council (856487), the Israel Science Foundation (1626/20), DFG-CRC 1506 ‘Aging at Interfaces’, Weizmann–Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Neurological Diseases, Weizmann–Sagol Center for Research on the Aging Brain, Weizmann SABRA–Yeda-Sela–WRC Program, the estate of Emile Mimran, the Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Biology Endowment and the estate of Gerald Alexander. V.K. is the director of the EKARD Institute for Cancer Diagnosis Research.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Neuroscience (miscellaneous)
- Ageing
- Geriatrics and Gerontology