Abstract:
This review discusses the relationship between cellular senescence and radiation exposure.
Given the wide range of ionizing radiation sources encountered by people in professional and
medical spheres, as well as the influence of natural background radiation, the question of the
effect of radiation on biological processes, particularly on aging processes, remains highly relevant.
The parallel relationship between natural and radiation-induced cellular senescence reveals the
common aspects underlying these processes. Based on recent scientific data, the key points of the
effects of ionizing radiation on cellular processes associated with aging, such as genome instability,
mitochondrial dysfunction, altered expression of miRNAs, epigenetic profile, and manifestation of
the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), are discussed. Unraveling the molecular
mechanisms of cellular senescence can make a valuable contribution to the understanding of the
molecular genetic basis of age-associated diseases in the context of environmental exposure.
