Communication breakdown: senescent cells in interorgan communication of aging

Mar 11, 2026Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM

How aging cells disrupt communication between organs

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Longevity & Aging on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Senescent cells may play a key role in interorgan communication related to aging.

Cellular senescence is associated with stable cell cycle arrest and diverse changes in cell behavior.
Senescent cells may contribute to aging by propagating senescence signals through specific secretory factors.
Alterations in immune function linked to senescence could drive chronic inflammation, a process referred to as 'inflammaging'.
Understanding these mechanisms could lead to better strategies for targeting senescent cells and reducing their impact on systemic aging.

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Cellular senescence is a complex cell fate characterized by stable cell cycle arrest and other heterogeneous changes. Senescent cells play a causal role in aging, although the underlying mechanisms remain under active investigation. In this opinion article, we propose that senescent cells can act as key mediators of interorgan communication of aging. Recent work defines multifaceted mechanisms, including the production of senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors that act to propagate senescence signals to nearby and distant cells, as well as age-related alterations in immune function that drive chronic inflammation, known as 'inflammaging'. Further investigation of these mechanisms could yield improved strategies to target senescent cells and mitigate their effects on systemic aging via interorgan communication of aging.