Therapeutic approaches to delay lung aging: understanding cellular and immune system changes in the older adults

As human lifespan extends, the impact of aging on health has become a significant research area, with increasing focus on pulmonary health. The lung, as a complex organ, undergoes various microenvironmental changes during aging, which are crucial for lung function and the development of related diseases. Aging affects the pulmonary microenvironment in multiple ways, accelerating the decline in lung function. One of the key mechanisms of aging is cellular senescence, which refers to the state in which cells lose their ability to divide and function properly. Cellular senescence leads to a decline in the regenerative capacity of lung cells and may trigger inflammatory responses. Correspondingly, aging also affects the immune system, making older adults more susceptible to respiratory infections. Moreover, intercellular communication within the pulmonary microenvironment changes during aging, potentially compromising lung structural integrity and function. Understanding these processes is essential for developing new therapeutic strategies to delay lung aging and improve pulmonary health in older adults. This review focuses on the impact of aging on the pulmonary microenvironment, including changes in cellular senescence, alterations in immune responses, and the involved molecular mechanisms, aiming to provide insights for the diagnosis and treatment of age-related pulmonary diseases.