Cited by 208Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms

Increased post-mitotic senescence in aged human neurons is a pathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease

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Herdy, Joseph R., Traxler, Larissa, Agarwal, Ravi K., Karbacher, Lukas, Schlachetzki, Johannes C.M., Boehnke, Lena, Zangwill, Dina, Galasko, Doug +3 more·2022·Cell Stem Cell

Abstract

The concept of senescence as a phenomenon limited to proliferating cells has been challenged by growing evidence of senescence-like features in terminally differentiated cells, including neurons. The persistence of senescent cells late in life is associated with tissue dysfunction and increased risk of age-related disease. We found that Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains have significantly higher proportions of neurons that express senescence markers, and their distribution indicates bystander effects. AD patient-derived directly induced neurons (iNs) exhibit strong transcriptomic, epigenetic, and molecular biomarker signatures, indicating a specific human neuronal senescence-like state. AD iN single-cell transcriptomics revealed that senescent-like neurons face oncogenic challenges and metabolic dysfunction as well as display a pro-inflammatory signature. Integrative profiling of the inflammatory secretome of AD iNs and patient cerebral spinal fluid revealed a neuronal senescence-associated secretory phenotype that could trigger astrogliosis in human astrocytes. Finally, we show that targeting senescence-like neurons with senotherapeutics could be a strategy for preventing or treating AD.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.stem.2022.11.010

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78 of 78 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Features of premature senescence associated with DSBs and p16 expression have been described in post-mitotic cells such as neurons.

    “However, features of premature senescence associated particularly with DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and p16 expression also have been described in post-mitotic cells such as neurons[16, 18, 29].”

    From Characterisation of premature cell senescence in Alzheimer's disease using single nuclear transcriptomics (2024) · cites this paper as [29]

    The Results section on the human prefrontal cortex reports p16-positive, senescent-like neurons in aged brains, with more in Alzheimer’s disease, and the oncogene experiments show that senescence can be induced in neurons. The paper does not establish that this neuronal senescence is associated with DNA double-strand breaks; its discussion of a DNA damage response after Ras treatment is speculative, and the double-strand-break passage found is a reference title. No page numbers were available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • No AD hallmark neuropathology was shown in neurons directly induced from individuals with AD through NGN2/ASCL1 overexpression.

    “but no AD hallmark neuropathology was shown.”

    From Modeling late-onset Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology via direct neuronal reprogramming (2024) · cites this paper as [24]

    The Results section on senescent patterns in AD induced neurons (page unavailable) confirms that neurons from AD patients were generated by direct Ngn2/Ascl1 conversion. The Results section on in vitro senescence markers reports AD-associated neuronal senescence, but our copy does not establish whether hallmark neuropathology such as amyloid plaques or tau tangles was shown or absent in those neurons. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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  • These severely affected donors had lower transcription and reduced chromatin accessibility that may correspond to senescent states or global epigenome dysregulation that is indicative of cell identity loss.

    “These severely affected donors had lower transcription and reduced chromatin accessibility that may correspond to senescent states97, or global epigenome dysregulation that is indicative of cell identity loss98.”

    From Integrated multimodal cell atlas of Alzheimer’s disease (2024) · cites this paper as [97]

    The Results section on senescent transcriptomic and epigenomic patterns (page unavailable) links neuronal senescence to altered transcription and chromatin, supporting the suggested connection to senescent states. But it reports increased expression and chromatin accessibility at senescence genes in Alzheimer’s-derived neurons, not that lower transcription and reduced accessibility characterize the senescent state. The cell-identity-loss clause is attached to citation 98, not this source. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Recent studies have directly induced neurons from individuals with AD through NGN2/ASCL1 overexpression.

    “Recent studies have directly induced neurons from individuals with AD through NGN2/ASCL1 overexpression.”
  • Neurons directly induced from individuals with AD through NGN2/ASCL1 overexpression exhibited age-associated dysregulations such as instability of mature neuronal fate, increased cellular senescence, and metabolic shifts.

    “These neurons exhibited several age-associated dysregulations such as instability of mature neuronal fate, increased cellular senescence, and metabolic shifts (11, 24, 25)”

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [43]Coppe JP, Desprez PY, Krtolica A, and Campisi J (2010). The senescence-associated secretory phenotype: the dark side of tumor suppression. Annu. Rev. Pathol 5, 99– 118. 10.1146/annurev-pathol-121808-102144. 20078217 PMC4166495 · DOI · Paper page
  2. [77]Mertens J, Paquola AC, Ku M, Hatch E, Bohnke L, Ladjevardi S, McGrath S, Campbell B, Lee H, Herdy JR, (2015). Directly Reprogrammed Human Neurons Retain Aging-Associated Transcriptomic Signatures and Reveal Age-Related Nucleocytoplasmic Defects. Cell Stem Cell 17, 705– 718. 10.1016/j.stem.2015.09.001. 26456686 PMC5929130 · DOI · Paper page

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Authors
Herdy, J. R., Traxler, L., Agarwal, R. K., Karbacher, L., Schlachetzki, J. C. M., Boehnke, L., Zangwill, D., Galasko, D., Glass, C. K., Mertens, J., & Gage, F. H.
Affiliations
  • Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
  • Universität Innsbruck (AT)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
Corresponding author
  • Herdy, Joseph R.
  • Gage, Fred H.
Venue
Cell Stem Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-12
Volume
29
Issue
12
Pages
1637-1652.e6
ISSN
  • 1875-9777 (ISSN-L)
  • 1934-5909
OpenAlex
W4310496865
Cited by
208
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 59 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 63 · 2023: 23
FWCI
23.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell stem cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
  • California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
  • American Heart Association (H2020, 19PABH134610000, 19PABHI34610000)
  • BrightFocus Foundation (A2019562S, ERC-STG-2019-852086, H2020-MSCA-IF-2017-797205)
  • Waitt Foundation
  • European Commission (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017., H2020, 797205, H2020‐MSCA‐IF, H2020-MSCA)
  • Austrian Science Fund (FWF-I5057)
  • National Institutes of Health (P30 014195, RT2-01927, 1s10od023689-01a1, H2020, AG062429, AG051449)
  • University of California, San Diego
  • Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (H2020-MSCA, H2020-MSCA-IF-2017)
  • National Institute on Aging (K99AG056679, R01AG056306, R01AG057706, R01AG056511, T32AG000216, P30AG062429, RF1AG056306, P01AG051449, R37AG072502)
  • National Cancer Institute (S10-OD023689, P30014195)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM007198)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
Keywords
neuronal senescence, Alzheimer's disease, senescence-associated secretory phenotype, senotherapeutics, astrocyte activation, neuroinflammation, senescence markers
MeSH terms
Aged, Alzheimer Disease, Astrocytes, Brain, Humans, Neurons, Oncogenes

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