Cellular senescence is a fundamental, complex mechanism with an important protective role
present from embryogenesis to late life across all species. It limits the proliferative potential
of damaged cells thus protecting against malignant change, but at the expense of
substantial alterations to the microenvironment and tissue homeostasis, driving
inflammation, fibrosis and paradoxically, malignant disease if the process is sustained.
Cellular senescence has attracted considerable recent interest with recognition of pathways …