Cellular senescence is a stress response that restrains the growth of aged, damaged, or
abnormal cells. Thus, senescence has a crucial role in development, tissue maintenance,
and cancer prevention. However, lingering senescent cells fuel chronic inflammation
through the acquisition of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which
causes chronic inflammation and contributes to diseases like cancer and age-related
tissue dysfunction. Recent progress in understanding senescence has spurred interest in
the development of approaches to target senescent cells (senotherapies), including
targeting specific characteristics of senescence that create vulnerabilities that can be
therapeutically exploited. In this Review, we evaluate the current status of various types
of senotherapies, including senolytics (that eliminate senescent cells), senomorphics
(that suppress the SASP), interventions that mitigate senescence, and strategies
harnessing the immune system for senescent cell clearance. We also summarise how
those approaches can be combined with cancer therapies and we discuss the challenges
and opportunities in moving senotherapies to clinical practice. By targeting cellular
senescence, these therapies hold promise in addressing the root causes of age-related
diseases, being effective against a wide range of pathologies opening new avenues for
preventive therapies and treating multimorbidities.