Beneficial senescence in development, wound healing, and regeneration

Cellular senescence is increasingly understood as a context-dependent process with both detrimental and beneficial functions. Indeed, senescent cells are more commonly recognized for their pathogenic contributions to age-related disorders, fibrosis, and chronic inflammation. Although persistent senescent cells are commonly associated with aging, chronic inflammation, and a wide range of diseases, transient senescence also occurs during embryonic development, tissue remodeling, wound healing, and regeneration. In these settings, senescent cells can contribute to tissue patterning, the removal of unwanted structures, extracellular matrix remodeling, and the coordination of regenerative responses. Their timely immune-mediated clearance generally prevents long-term tissue damage. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that distinguish beneficial, transient senescence from persistent, pathological senescence remain incompletely understood. Further investigation is needed to clarify how senescent cells communicate with neighbouring cells, regulate tissue repair, and influence regeneration across different developmental and physiological contexts.Given the overwhelming focus on pathological senescence in the literature, this Research Topic aims to advance understanding of the mechanisms and physiological functions of beneficial senescence in development, wound healing, and tissue regeneration. It will examine how programmed senescence contributes to organogenesis, morphogenesis, and tissue patterning, as well as how senescent cells influence inflammation, extracellular matrix remodeling, fibrosis resolution, cell plasticity, and regenerative signaling after injury. The Research Topic will also explore how immune surveillance and senescent-cell clearance regulate the transition between transient, reparative senescence and persistent, pathological senescence. A further objective is to assess whether beneficial senescence can be therapeutically harnessed to improve wound repair, regenerative medicine, and tissue restoration.To gather further insights into beneficial senescence, this Research Topic will cover cellular, molecular, developmental, evolutionary, preclinical, and translational research while recognizing that senescence is highly dependent on tissue context, timing, and cell identity. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Programmed cellular senescence during embryonic development, organogenesis, tissue patterning, and morphogenesis.- The contribution of senescent cells to cutaneous and tissue wound healing, including fibroblast senescence, myofibroblast plasticity, extracellular matrix remodeling, and scar resolution.- The role of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype in cell plasticity, reprogramming, inflammation, fibrosis resolution, and tissue regeneration.- Immune recognition and clearance of beneficial senescent cells, including mechanisms determining transient versus persistent senescence.- Molecular triggers and signaling pathways distinguishing reparative senescence from pathological, age-associated senescence.- Comparative and evolutionary perspectives on regenerative senescence across species with different regenerative capacities.- Interactions between senescent cells, stem and progenitor cells, immune cells, fibroblasts, and other tissue-resident populations.- Therapeutic strategies that harness, modulate, or precisely time beneficial senescence to enhance wound healing and tissue regeneration.- Experimental approaches, including organoids, lineage tracing, imaging, single-cell and spatial omics, and in vivo injury models, for studying beneficial senescence. Topic editors: Wei Pi, Junxian Wen, Yifan Wang, Junye Chen Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85957/beneficial-senescence-in-development-wound-healing-and-regeneration