Cellular senescence, the irreversible loss of replicative capacity in somatic cells, plays a causal role in the development of age-related pathology and in a number of age-related chronic inflammatory diseases. The ageing lung is marked by an increasing number of senescent cells, and evidence is mounting that senescence may directly contribute to a number of age-related respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Telomere dysfunction and alterations in mitochondrial homeostasis frequently occur in cellular senescence and are important to the development of the often detrimental senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The roles of telomeres, the mitochondria and cellular senescence in lung ageing and disease are discussed. Therapeutic interventions targeting cellular senescence are considered for delaying or potentially reversing age-related respiratory disease.

细胞衰老，即体细胞复制能力的不可逆损失，在与年龄相关的病理学和许多与年龄相关的慢性炎症疾病的发展中起着因果作用。衰老的肺以越来越多的衰老细胞为标志，越来越多的证据表明，衰老可能直接导致许多与年龄相关的呼吸系统疾病，包括慢性阻塞性肺病 (COPD) 和特发性肺纤维化 (IPF)。端粒功能障碍和线粒体稳态的改变经常发生在细胞衰老中，并且对于通常有害的衰老相关分泌表型 (SASP) 的发展很重要。讨论了端粒、线粒体和细胞衰老在肺衰老和疾病中的作用。