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Cellular Senescence in Chronic Lung Diseases
Different hallmarks of aging, such as cellular senescence, have been identified as pathogenic drivers of chronic lung diseases (CLDs), such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Cellular senescence describes a cell cycle arrest of cells with a simultaneous upregulation of various secreted inflammatory factors that are collectively termed the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The SASP has various functional consequences, including detrimental effects on repair and regeneration. We aim to define cell- and disease-specific cellular senescence as a basis for the design of novel approaches to pharmacologically target cellular senescence in chronic lung diseases. To this end, we develop novel clinically relevant human models of lung aging and senescence to build platforms for the identification of novel targets.