Cellular senescence is increasingly implicated in age-related tissue degeneration and is emerging as a promising therapeutic target. New findings support senescence as an important contributor to intervertebral disc degeneration independently of ageing and demonstrate that systemically targeting senescence can preserve disc structure and cellular identity.

To separate the effects of ageing from disease mechanisms, the researchers used an SM/J mouse model, which develops spontaneous, early-onset disc degeneration. As early as 4 weeks of age, these mice showed increased expression of senescence markers and senescence-associated transcriptomic signatures in disc tissue, preceding structural degeneration.