Influence of Altered Gut Microbiota in Cellular Senescence

Senescence is a physiological process a cell undergoes. This process is often considered as a double-edged sword as it as both beneficial and non-beneficial effects in the living system. Various cell types (e.g., immune cells, intestinal epithelial cells) are susceptible to undergo senescence reversibly or irreversibly. In this chapter, we elaborately discuss gut microbes and their influence on cellular senescence. Ageing is an inevitable action. As we age, there is a gradual depreciation in the body’s functioning and immune system and are thus prone to various disease conditions. Gut microbes are essential symbiotic organisms present in the intestinal tract of the host orchestrating a wide range of physiological actions and helping in the orderly functioning of the tissues or organs. Normally as we age there is a significant alteration in the microbial communities in the gut. This dysbiosis of microbial population breaches the functioning and homeostasis of gut microbes. This leads to the formation of senescence associated secretory phenotype and leads to formation of inflammatory microenvironment. Inflammation is a basic pathological feature for various age-related diseases including cancer, diabetes, etc. Practicing good diet practices, diet rich in probiotics, prebiotics, and naturally occurring polyphenols (e.g., fruits, vegetables, green tea) are found to enhance growth of beneficial gut microbes and may offer potential strategies to mitigate the negative effects of age-related gut dysbiosis and cellular senescence.