Senescent T cells: Beneficial and detrimental roles

Abstract

SummaryAs the thymus involutes during aging, the T‐cell pool has to be maintained by the periodic expansion of preexisting T cells during adulthood. A conundrum is that repeated episodes of activation and proliferation drive the differentiation of T cells toward replicative senescence, due to telomere erosion. This review discusses mechanisms that regulate the end‐stage differentiation (senescence) of T cells. Although these cells, within both CD4 and CD8 compartments, lose proliferative activity after antigen‐specific challenge, they acquire innate‐like immune function. While this may confer broad immune protection during aging, these senescent T cells may also cause immunopathology, especially in the context of excessive inflammation in tissue microenvironments.