The Dynamic Process and Its Dual Effects on Tumors of Therapy-Induced Senescence

Cellular senescence is traditionally considered as stable cell cycle arrest state with other phenotypic alterations including the production of an array of cytokines and growth factors. Cancer cells undergo senescence in response to chemotherapeutic agents, radiotherapy and molecular targeted therapy. This form of senescence is termed therapy-induced senescence (TIS) and represents a desirable target in cancer therapy. Recent studies have shown that cellular senescence is a highly heterogeneous and dynamic process. Apart from being cleared by the immune system, the senescent cancer cells may survive for a long time and escape from senescence state. Notably, these cells even have the potential to regain stem-like state with high aggressiveness that eventually facilitates cancer recurrence. Furthermore, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) of senescent cells is not always the same, and could establish immunosuppression and a protumor microenvironment. Given these detrimental effects, senescence-inducing chemotherapy followed by senotherapy (the “one–two punch” approach), has emerged. This combined therapy could mitigate unnecessary side effects of the persistent senescent cells, reduce the toxicity of pro-senescence therapy and prolong the survival of cancer patients, and it has a potential future in the precise treatment of cancer. Herein, we review the complex effects of therapy-induced senescence in cancer and highlight the great promise of two-step strategies in anticancer therapies.