Cellular senescence

Cellular senescence is a stable cell-cycle arrest triggered by stressors such as DNA damage, telomere dysfunction, oncogene activation or oxidative stress. Senescent cells remain metabolically active and typically secrete a pro-inflammatory mixture of cytokines, chemokines and proteases known as the SASP. While senescence initially suppresses tumour formation and aids wound healing, the accumulation of senescent cells with age contributes to tissue dysfunction and age-related disease.