BUFFALO, NY — June 29, 2026 — A new #review was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on May 30, 2026, titled “The love and hate relationship between cellular senescence and stemness.”

The review was led by first author Angelos Papaspyropoulos and corresponding author Vassilis G. Gorgoulis from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Greece.

Cellular senescence and stemness have traditionally been viewed as biological opposites. Senescent cells permanently stop dividing in response to cellular stress, helping prevent the spread of damaged cells, while stem cells maintain tissue repair by continuously renewing themselves and generating specialized cells. However, growing evidence suggests that the relationship between these two biological processes is far more complex and depends on the tissue type, physiological conditions, and disease context.

In this review, the authors summarize recent research examining how senescence and stemness interact across normal tissues, aging, regeneration, and cancer. Rather than always opposing one another, the two processes can either suppress or reinforce each other depending on the biological setting.

Under normal physiological conditions, senescence often limits stem cell activity. The review highlights studies showing that excessive senescence can impair the regenerative capacity of mesenchymal stem cells, muscle satellite cells, dental pulp stem cells, and pancreatic β-cell progenitors. In several experimental models, reducing senescence restored stem cell function and improved tissue regeneration.

At the molecular level, multiple signaling pathways contribute to this balance, including the p53/p21 and p16INK4A/RB pathways, mTOR signaling, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These pathways help determine whether cells maintain regenerative potential or enter a stable senescent state.

The review also emphasizes that the relationship changes dramatically in cancer. In many tumors, senescent cells can promote the emergence of cancer stem cells through inflammatory signals released as part of the SASP or through cells escaping from the senescent state. This interaction has been reported in several malignancies, including B-cell lymphoma, liver cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer, where stem cell-like properties may contribute to tumor progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy.

Full press release - https://www.aging-us.com/news-room/cellular-senescence-and-stem-cells-share-a-more-complex-relationship-than-previously-recognized

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206387

Corresponding author - Vassilis G. Gorgoulis - [email protected]

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Keywords - aging, senescence, stemness

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