Cellular senescence meets infection: highlights from the 10th annual International Cell Senescence Association (ICSA)...

At the 10^th Annual International Cell Senescence Association (ICSA) Conference, held in Rome (Italy) from September 17-19, 2025, "senescence and infection" emerged as a recurring highlight linking diverse sessions across virology, immunology, and aging research. Presentations addressed virus-induced senescence in influenza A virus (IAV), SARS-CoV-2, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as well as bacterial infections such as Mycobacterium abscessus. Together, these studies have defined infection-driven senescence (IDS) as a critical biological process in both acute disease and long-term sequelae, connecting infectious pathology with mechanisms of aging and chronic inflammation. Mechanistically, IDS integrates DNA damage responses, inflammatory signaling, and metabolic stress, with consistent activation of p16^INK4a, p21, and NF-κB pathways. Evidence across immune, epithelial, and neuronal systems have revealed that senescence contributes to impaired regeneration, persistent inflammation, and altered host-pathogen dynamics. Emerging therapeutic data suggest that senolytic or senomorphic strategies may alleviate infection-associated tissue damage. Collectively, the conference highlighted IDS as an expanding frontier that bridges infection biology and aging research, emphasizing its potential relevance for prevention and therapy of chronic age-related disease.