Context-specific effects of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype in health and disorders

Cellular senescence, a state characterized by stable cell cycle arrest, has emerged as a critical process in maintaining tissue homeostasis by limiting the proliferation of damaged cells. While initially regarded as a tumor-suppressive mechanism, accumulating evidence highlights its complex involvement in aging and a variety of diseases. A focal point of current debate is reconciling the dual roles of senescence: its beneficial contribution to organismal health early in life and its association with detrimental effects, such as chronic inflammation and tissue dysfunction, observed in aging and pathology. Central to this paradox is the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), a distinctive and dynamic collection of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and proteases secreted by senescent cells, though the precise biological impact and regulatory mechanisms of the SASP remain incompletely defined.Recent advances, including single-cell transcriptomics and proteomics, have enabled the detailed characterization of the SASP at unprecedented resolution, uncovering its remarkable heterogeneity and context-dependence. The development of sophisticated in vivo and ex vivo models now allows researchers to map the influence of the SASP on complex cellular and molecular networks within tissue microenvironments. However, key questions persist regarding how different cellular origins, senescence inducers, and tissue contexts drive SASP diversity, and how discrete SASP factors orchestrate discrete biological outcomes that ultimately influence organismal health.This Research Topic aims to elucidate how the Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype contributes to the diverse physiological and pathological roles of senescent cells, spanning processes from tissue repair and tumor suppression to inflamm-aging and disease progression. By examining context-specific and cell-type-specific compositions of the SASP, alongside their functional consequences, the research seeks to clarify the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning both the beneficial and deleterious effects of senescence.The scope of this Research Topic is defined by its focus on defining the molecular, cellular, and systemic effects of the SASP in both health and disease, without limiting investigations to any single organ, model, or disease context. We welcome a broad spectrum of research approaches and encourage submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following areas:o Molecular mechanisms triggering the secretory phenotype in senescent cellso Characterization of SASP heterogeneity based on cell origin or senescence inducero Distinction between paracrine and autocrine effects of the SASPo Influence of the SASP on immune surveillance, recruitment, activation, and clearance in normal, diseased, and aging tissueso Specific SASP components driving “inflamm-aging”o Identification and functional analysis of non-protein SASP factors Topic editors: Gregory David Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79367/context-specific-effects-of-the-senescence-associated-secretory-phenotype-in-health-and-disorders