Abstract SARS‐CoV‐2 is a novel betacoronavirus which infects the lower respiratory tract and can cause coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), a complex respiratory distress syndrome. Epidemiological data show that COVID‐19 has a rising mortality particularly in individuals with advanced age. Identifying a functional association between SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and the process of biological aging may provide a tractable avenue for therapy to prevent acute and long‐term disease. Here, we discuss how cellular senescence—a state of stable growth arrest characterized by pro‐inflammatory and pro‐disease functions—can hypothetically be a contributor to COVID‐19 pathogenesis, and a potential pharmaceutical target to alleviate disease severity. First, we define why older COVID‐19 patients are more likely to accumulate high levels of cellular senescence. Second, we describe how senescent cells can contribute to an uncontrolled SARS‐CoV‐2‐mediated cytokine storm and an excessive inflammatory reaction during the early phase of the disease. Third, we discuss the various mechanisms by which senescent cells promote tissue damage leading to lung failure and multi‐tissue dysfunctions. Fourth, we argue that a high senescence burst might negatively impact on vaccine efficacy. Measuring the burst of cellular senescence could hypothetically serve as a predictor of COVID‐19 severity, and targeting senescence‐associated mechanisms prior and after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection might have the potential to limit a number of severe damages and to improve the efficacy of vaccinations. Senescence accumulation as a result of multiple factors can increase the risk of developing severe complications upon SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and cause poor vaccine response. Senescence biomarkers can serve to evaluate the risk of developing severe COVID‐19 and senotherapeutics as a good strategy to limit detrimental long‐term health consequences.
【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Efficacy, Vaccine, Cytokine storm, therapy, Biomarker, Pathogenesis, severity, disease severity, risk, senescence, COVID‐19, SARS‐CoV‐2, Consequences, Health, vaccine response, disease, mechanism, association, cellular senescence, cellular, Vaccinations, distress, detrimental, Lower respiratory tract, Older, Factor, tissue damage, growth, individual, complex, early phase, novel Betacoronavirus, advanced age, syndrome, SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, inflammatory reaction, second, identifying, lung failure, infect, Prevent, limit, IMPROVE, evaluate, the disease, characterized, functional, contribute, promote, accumulate, alleviate, severe complication, COVID‐19 patient, rising mortality, senescent cell, 【제목키워드】 severity, COVID‐19,