Cellular senescence as a potential mediator of COVID-19 severity in the elderly

Jamil Nehme, Michela Borghesan, Sebastian Mackedenski, Thomas G Bird, Marco Demaria*

*Corresponding author voor dit werk

    Onderzoeksoutputpeer review

    69 Citaten (Scopus)
    190 Downloads (Pure)

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    SARS-CoV-2 is a novel betacoronavirus which infects the lower respiratory tract and can cause coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a complex respiratory distress syndrome. Epidemiological data show that COVID-19 has a rising mortality particularly in individuals with advanced age. Identifying a functional association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the process of biological aging may provide a tractable avenue for therapy to prevent acute and long-term disease. Here, we discuss how cellular senescence-a state of stable growth arrest characterized by pro-inflammatory and pro-disease functions-can hypothetically be a contributor to COVID-19 pathogenesis, and a potential pharmaceutical target to alleviate disease severity. First, we define why older COVID-19 patients are more likely to accumulate high levels of cellular senescence. Second, we describe how senescent cells can contribute to an uncontrolled SARS-CoV-2-mediated cytokine storm and an excessive inflammatory reaction during the early phase of the disease. Third, we discuss the various mechanisms by which senescent cells promote tissue damage leading to lung failure and multi-tissue dysfunctions. Fourth, we argue that a high senescence burst might negatively impact on vaccine efficacy. Measuring the burst of cellular senescence could hypothetically serve as a predictor of COVID-19 severity, and targeting senescence-associated mechanisms prior and after SARS-CoV-2 infection might have the potential to limit a number of severe damages and to improve the efficacy of vaccinations.

    Originele taal-2English
    Artikelnummere13237
    Aantal pagina's14
    TijdschriftAging Cell
    Volume19
    Nummer van het tijdschrift10
    Vroegere onlinedatum21-sep.-2020
    DOI's
    StatusPublished - okt.-2020

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