Mechanism and significance of cell senescence induced by viral infection.

Abstract

Virus-induced senescence (VIS) is a significant biological phenomenon, which is associated with declining immune function, accelerating aging process and causing aging-related diseases. Studies have shown that a variety of common viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, herpesviruses and hepatitis B virus can cause VIS in host cells. The primary mechanisms include the abnormal activation of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, DNA damage response, and potential correlations with the integrated stress response due to intracellular phase separation. Viral infection and cellular senescence interact with each other: cellular senescence serves as a defense to restrict viral replication and transmission, while some viruses exploit cellular senescence to enhance their infectivity and replication. Understanding the mechanisms of VIS is conducive to the development of therapeutic strategies for viral infections and promotion of healthy aging. However, there is lack of research on therapeutic targets and drug development in this field so far; although senolytics may be effective for anti senescent cells (SCs) therapy, its efficacy for VIS need evidence provided by further clinical trials. This article reviews the research progress on the connection between viral infection and cellular senescence, to provide insights for the prevention and treatment of aging related diseases.