Cellular senescence, a novel therapeutic target for mesenchymal stem cells in acute kidney injury

Cellular senescence is a widespread cellular programme that is characterized by permanent cell cycle arrest. Senescent cells adopt a changed secretory phenotype that can alter cellular function. For years, cellular senescence has been thought to be a protective factor against cancer; however, it is now recognized that it has a dual effect on individuals. Co-ordinated activation of cellular senescence provides advantages during embryogenesis, wound healing, tissue repair and inhibition of tumorigenesis. On the other hand, the aberrant generation and accumulation of abnormal senescent cells lead to the development of age-related conditions and tissue deterioration. During acute kidney injury (AKI), the kidney faces multiple types of stressors and challenges, which can easily drive cellular senescence. How to appropriately progress through the cell cycle and minimize long-term damage is of great importance to the acquisition of adaptive repair considering that no available therapeutic interventions can reliably limit injury, speedy recovery or improve the prognosis of this syndrome. Whether the manipulation of cellular senescence can become a novel therapeutic target in AKI and reignite clinical and research interest remains to be determined. Here, we share our current understanding of the role of cellular senescence in AKI, along with examples of the application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for targeting this disorder during its treatment.