Current Biomarkers of Cellular Senescence: Mechanistic Insights and Their Implications for Drug Resistance in Cancer

One of the major challenges in cancer treatment is intrinsic or acquired drug resistance. To overcome this resistance, various alternative therapeutic strategies have been explored. The induction of cellular senescence could enhance the chemosensitivity of cancer cells, thereby overcoming drug resistance. Cellular senescence, a form of cell cycle exit, is important for the development of promising new treatment approaches for cancer because of its irreversible nature. However, there are many contradictory outcomes of triggering the senescence program in cancer cells. Moreover, the accurate detection of cell senescence remains uncertain. Therefore, the biomarkers of cell senescence, driving the senescence program, and their roles in various cellular pathways are prominent to determine for targeting the key cellular network in molecular oncology. A range of biomarkers are used to detect senescent cells. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of cellular senescence biomarkers by examining their potential contributions to carcinogenesis and chemoresistance. Understanding cellular states is a current issue in cancer studies and is important for correctly assessing the effectiveness of treatment. In this review, the relationships between chemotherapeutic resistance and senescent biomarkers are discussed in the context of studies conducted over the past decade. This knowledge is crucial for improving the identification of senescence, paving the way for developing targeted strategies to regulate the senescence for cancer therapy and drug resistance.