Senescence is a durable cell cycle arrest that can be induced in response to various stress factors, such as telomere erosion, DNA damage or the aberrant activation of oncogenes. In addition to its well-established role as a stress response programme, research has revealed important physiological roles of senescence in nondisease settings, such as embryonic development, wound healing, tissue repair and ageing. Senescent cells secrete various cytokines, chemokines, matrix remodelling proteases and growth factors, a phenotype collectively referred to as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. These factors evoke immune responses that, depending on the pathophysiological context, can either prevent or even fuel disease and tumorigenesis. Remarkably, even the gut microbiota can influence senescence in various organs. In this Review, we provide an introduction to cellular senescence, addressed particularly to gastroenterologists and hepatologists, and discuss the implications of senescence for the pathogenesis of malignant and nonmalignant gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary diseases. We conclude with an outlook on how modulation of cellular senescence might be used for therapeutic purposes.

衰老是一种持久的细胞周期停滞，可以响应各种应激因素（例如端粒侵蚀，DNA损伤或癌基因异常激活）而被诱导。除了其作为压力反应程序的公认作用之外，研究还显示了衰老在非疾病环境中的重要生理作用，例如胚胎发育，伤口愈合，组织修复和衰老。衰老细胞分泌各种细胞因子，趋化因子，基质重塑蛋白酶和生长因子，这种表型统称为衰老相关的分泌表型。这些因素引起免疫反应，取决于病理生理环境，可以预防甚至加剧疾病和肿瘤的发生。值得注意的是，即使肠道菌群也可以影响各种器官的衰老。在这篇评论中，我们提供了细胞衰老的介绍，特别是胃肠病学家和肝病学家，并讨论了衰老对胃肠道和肝胆道恶性和非恶性疾病发病机制的影响。我们以对细胞衰老的调节如何用于治疗为目的进行了展望。