1. Cellular senescence, DNA damage, and neuroinflammation in the aging brain.
- Author
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Zhang, Wenyan, Sun, Hong-Shuo, Wang, Xiaoying, Dumont, Aaron S., and Liu, Qiang
- Subjects
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IMMUNOSENESCENCE , *CELLULAR aging , *DNA damage , *AGING , *HEMATOPOIETIC stem cells , *NEUROINFLAMMATION - Abstract
Accumulation of DNA damage and senescent cells can trigger neuroinflammation in the aging brain. During brain aging, intrinsic cells of the central nervous system (CNS) such as neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia display spatial heterogeneity and sex differences, and contribute to neuroinflammation. As the central sites of neuroimmune interactions, the structure and function of the CNS borders alter with advancing age and influence normal brain aging. An aged immune system escalates systemic inflammation and accelerates brain aging. Immunosenescence originates, in part, from the aging of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells, and may contribute to brain aging. Immune interventions to rejuvenate the aged immune system or restore immune homeostasis may have the potential to slow down brain aging. Aging may lead to low-level chronic inflammation that increases the susceptibility to age-related conditions, including memory impairment and progressive loss of brain volume. As brain health is essential to promoting healthspan and lifespan, it is vital to understand age-related changes in the immune system and central nervous system (CNS) that drive normal brain aging. However, the relative importance, mechanistic interrelationships, and hierarchical order of such changes and their impact on normal brain aging remain to be clarified. Here, we synthesize accumulating evidence that age-related DNA damage and cellular senescence in the immune system and CNS contribute to the escalation of neuroinflammation and cognitive decline during normal brain aging. Targeting cellular senescence and immune modulation may provide a logical rationale for developing new treatment options to restore immune homeostasis and counteract age-related brain dysfunction and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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