The senescent cell epigenome

A critical hallmark of aging is cellular senescence, a state of growth arrest and inflammatory cytokine release in cells, caused by a variety of stresses. Recent work has convincingly linked the accumulation of senescent cells in aged tissues to a decline in health and a limit of lifespan, primarily through "inflammaging". Importantly, interventions that clear senescent cells have achieved marked improvements in healthspan and lifespan in mice. A growing list of studies show that environmental stimuli can affect aging and longevity through conserved pathways which, in turn, modulate chromatin states. This review consolidates key findings of chromatin state changes in senescence including histone modifications, histone variants, DNA methylation and changes in three-dimensional genome organization. This information will facilitate the identification of mechanisms and discovery of potential epigenetic targets for therapeutic interventions in aging and age-related disease.