Targeting of senescence and metabolic disorders

Type 2 diabetes is a major threat to human lifespan, and is caused by tissue dysfunction in insulin sensitive tissues and insulin secreting pancreatic P cells. Prevalence of diabetes is known to increase with age. Tissue dysfunctions in diabetes may be caused in part by a convergence of cellular senescence in adipose tissues and pancreatic p cells. Cellular senescence occurs in response to various cellular stressors, such as telomere erosion, DNA damage and oxidative stress. Senescent adipocytes and pancreatic p cells adopt several unique characteristics including enzymatic activity of senescence associated p galactosidase(SA- f -GAL) and upregulation of cell cycle inhibitors such as p53 and p16. Senotherapies are therapies targeting senescent cells, and is a promising strategy to overcome diabetes.