Cellular Senescence as a Developmental Program Hijacked by Aging

Senescence is typically viewed as a stress response—cells arrest when damaged to prevent cancer. But senescence also occurs during normal development: embryonic patterning, wound healing, tissue repair.

This suggests an alternative view. Senescence is not merely a damage response. It is a fundamental cellular program with roles in tissue remodeling, immune signaling, and regeneration.

Hypothesis: Cellular senescence is a developmental program that aging hijacks. In youth, senescence is tightly regulated—turned on for specific purposes and quickly cleared. In aging, damage and stress trigger senescence promiscuously, overwhelming clearance mechanisms and creating chronic inflammation.