Positive and negative effects of cellular senescence during female reproductive aging and pregnancy.
Cellular senescence is a phenomenon occurring when cells are no longer able to divide even after treatment with growth stimuli. Because senescent cells are typically associated with aging and age-related diseases, cellular senescence is hypothesized to contribute to the age-related decline in reproductive function. However, some data suggest that senescent cells may also be important for normal physiological functions during pregnancy. Herein, we review the positive and negative effects of cellular senescence on female reproductive aging and pregnancy. We discuss how senescent cells accelerate female reproductive aging by promoting the decline in the number of ovarian follicles and increasing complications during pregnancy. We also describe how cellular senescence plays an important role in placental and fetal development as a beneficial process, ensuring proper homeostasis during pregnancy.
Institute of BiologyUniversity of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines Buck Institute for Research on AgingNovato, California, USA mcvelarde@up.edu.ph.
Michael C
MC
Velarde
Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, USA Department of Clinical Medicine and Obstetrics and GynecologyAarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Ramkumar
R
Menon
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D005321:Extraembryonic Membranes / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D058685:Genetic Pleiotropy; D006801:Humans; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology
fetal aging; ovarian; placental; senescent cells; uterine