Cellular senescence, a stress response mechanism, plays a pivotal role in tissue homeostasis and tumor suppression, but it also drives aging and age-related disorders, and facilitates tumorigenesis and metastasis. To fully understand senescence, we need sensitive and specific tools to detect senescence in vivo. Herein, we summarize the challenges of detecting senescence, discuss the current methods to detect senescence in vivo, and give a perspective on overcoming current obstacles.

The 2022 International Conference on Aging and Cancer, with the theme of “promoting longevity with less cancer,” covered the topics on DNA methylation in rejuvenation, development, and cellular senescence; lifespan regulation and longevity manipulation; metabolism and aging; cellular senescence and diseases; and novel therapeutics for cancer and antiaging/anticancer drug discovery. The forum brought the attention to the conflicting needs and competing demands in human biology.