Human CD8+ EMRA T cells display a senescence-associated secretory phenotype regulated by p38 MAPK

Cellular senescence is accompanied by a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). We show here that primary human senescent CD8(+) T cells also display a SASP comprising chemokines, cytokines and extracellular matrix remodelling proteases that are unique to this subset and contribute to age-associated inflammation. We found the CD8(+) CD45RA(+)CD27(-) EMRA subset to be the most heterogeneous, with a population aligning with the naive T cells and another with a closer association to the effector memory subset. However, despite the differing processes that give rise to these senescent CD8(+) T cells once generated, they both adopt a unique secretory profile with no commonality to any other subset, aligning more closely with senescence than quiescence. Furthermore, we also show that the SASP observed in senescent CD8(+) T cells is governed by p38 MAPK signalling.