# Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1, Cell Senescence, and Aging-Related Diseases

**Authors:** Rui-Ming Liu, Mary F. Nakamya

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/cells15060551 · 2026-03-19

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) contributes to cell senescence and aging-related diseases.

## Contribution

It highlights PAI-1 as both a marker and mediator of cell senescence in aging and disease.

## Key findings

- PAI-1 expression increases with age and in aging-related diseases.
- PAI-1 promotes cell senescence through multiple mechanisms in vitro and in vivo.
- PAI-1 is a key player in stress-induced and replicative senescence.

## Abstract

Cellular senescence, including replicative senescence (RS) and stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS), is a state of the permanent arrest of cell growth, which can occur in proliferative cells and post-mitotic cells. Cellular senescence is believed to contribute importantly to aging and aging-related diseases. Although several hypotheses, including telomere shortening, oncogene activation, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction, have been proposed, the mechanisms underlying cellular senescence in either physiological or pathological conditions remain poorly understood. Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), a physiological inhibitor of tissue type and urokinase type of plasminogen activators (tPA and uPA), has multiple functions. PAI-1 expression increases with age and in many aging-related diseases. Importantly, increased PAI-1 expression is not only a marker but also a mediator of cell senescence induced by different stimuli in vitro and in vivo. This review focuses on the recent advance in the role of PAI-1 in cell senescence during aging and in aging-related diseases as well as the potential mechanisms by which PAI-1 promotes cell senescence.

## Linked entities

- **Genes:** SERPINE1 (serpin family E member 1) [NCBI Gene 5054]

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** Tgfb1 (transforming growth factor, beta 1) [NCBI Gene 21803] {aka TGF-beta1, TGFbeta1, Tgfb, Tgfb-1}, CXCL8 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8) [NCBI Gene 3576] {aka GCP-1, GCP1, IL8, LECT, LUCT, LYNAP}, Il4 (interleukin 4) [NCBI Gene 16189] {aka BSF-1, Il-4}, SERPINE1 (serpin family E member 1) [NCBI Gene 5054] {aka PAI, PAI-1, PAI1, PLANH1}, Ndufb8 (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit B8) [NCBI Gene 67264] {aka 2900010I05Rik, CI-ASHI}, Cdkn2a (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A) [NCBI Gene 12578] {aka ARF-INK4a, Arf, INK4a-ARF, Ink4a/Arf, MTS1, Pctr1}, Dmrt2 (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 2) [NCBI Gene 226049] {aka Terra}, PLAT (plasminogen activator, tissue type) [NCBI Gene 5327] {aka T-PA, TPA}, Il13 (interleukin 13) [NCBI Gene 16163] {aka Il-13}, Psen1 (presenilin 1) [NCBI Gene 19164] {aka Ad3h, PS-1, PS1, S182}, Il6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 16193] {aka Il-6}, Cebpb (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta) [NCBI Gene 12608] {aka C/EBPbeta, CRP2, IL-6DBP, LAP, LIP, NF-IL6}, Plaur (plasminogen activator, urokinase receptor) [NCBI Gene 18793] {aka Cd87, u-PAR, uPAR}, Sting1 (stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor 1) [NCBI Gene 72512] {aka 2610307O08Rik, ERIS, MPYS, Mita, STING, STING-beta}, Trp53-ps (transformation related protein 53, pseudogene) [NCBI Gene 22060], Sirt1 (sirtuin 1) [NCBI Gene 93759] {aka SIR2L1, Sir2, Sir2a, Sir2alpha}, Lmnb1 (lamin B1) [NCBI Gene 16906], Plau (plasminogen activator, urokinase) [NCBI Gene 18792] {aka u-PA, uPA}, Plg (plasminogen) [NCBI Gene 18815] {aka Pg}, Plat (plasminogen activator, tissue) [NCBI Gene 18791] {aka D8Ertd2e, tPA}, Sdhb (succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit B, iron sulfur (Ip)) [NCBI Gene 67680] {aka 0710008N11Rik}, Myc (Myc proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor) [NCBI Gene 17869] {aka Myc2, Niard, Nird, bHLHe39}, Chek2 (checkpoint kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 50883] {aka CHK2, Cds1, HUCDS1, Rad53}, Rad50 (RAD50 double strand break repair protein) [NCBI Gene 19360] {aka Mrell, Rad50l}, Terf1 (telomeric repeat binding factor 1) [NCBI Gene 21749] {aka Pin2, Trbf1, Trf1}, Terf2 (telomeric repeat binding factor 2) [NCBI Gene 21750] {aka TRF2}, Cdkn1a (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 1A) [NCBI Gene 12575] {aka CAP20, CDKI, CIP1, Cdkn1, P21, SDI1}, Cgas (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase) [NCBI Gene 214763] {aka E330016A19Rik, Mb21d1}, Sirt6 (sirtuin 6) [NCBI Gene 50721] {aka 2810449N18Rik, Sir2l6, mSIRT6}, Fgf23 (fibroblast growth factor 23) [NCBI Gene 64654] {aka Fgf8b}, Chek1 (checkpoint kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 12649] {aka Chk1, rad27}, Rb1 (RB transcriptional corepressor 1) [NCBI Gene 19645] {aka Rb, Rb-1, p110-RB1, pRb, pp105}, Rela (Rela proto-oncogene, NFKB subunit) [NCBI Gene 19697] {aka p65, p65 NF-kappa B, p65 NFkB}, Cbx5 (chromobox 5) [NCBI Gene 12419] {aka 2610029O15Rik, HP1, Hp1a, Hp1alpha}, Trp53bp1 (transformation related protein 53 binding protein 1) [NCBI Gene 27223] {aka 53BP1, Tp53bp1, m53BP1, p53BP1}, H3P16 (H3 histone pseudogene 16) [NCBI Gene 644914] {aka H3.6, H3F3AP6, p21}, Snca (synuclein, alpha) [NCBI Gene 20617] {aka NACP, alpha-Syn, alphaSYN}, Fn1 (fibronectin 1) [NCBI Gene 14268] {aka E330027I09, Fn, Fn-1}, Il1 (interleukin 1 complex) [NCBI Gene 111343] {aka Il-1}, IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, Serpine1 (serine (or cysteine) peptidase inhibitor, clade E, member 1) [NCBI Gene 18787] {aka PAI-1, PAI1, Planh1}, Pot1a (protection of telomeres 1A) [NCBI Gene 101185] {aka 1500031H18Rik, Pot1}, Vtn (vitronectin) [NCBI Gene 22370] {aka Vn}, Map3k5 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 5) [NCBI Gene 26408] {aka 7420452D20Rik, ASK, ASK1, MAPKKK5, Mekk5}, Nbn (nibrin) [NCBI Gene 27354] {aka Nbs1}, Il1b (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 16176] {aka IL-1beta, Il-1b}, Nr4a1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 1) [NCBI Gene 15370] {aka GFRP1, Gfrp, Hbr-1, Hbr1, Hmr, N10}, Mre11a (MRE11A homolog A, double strand break repair nuclease) [NCBI Gene 17535] {aka Mre11, Mre11b}, CDKN2A (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A) [NCBI Gene 1029] {aka ARF, CAI2, CDK4I, CDKN2, CMM2, INK4}, Tnf (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 21926] {aka DIF, TNF-a, TNF-alpha, TNFSF2, TNFalpha, Tnfa}, Psen2 (presenilin 2) [NCBI Gene 19165] {aka ALG-3, Ad4h, Alg3, PS-2, PS2, Psnl2}, Igfbp3 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3) [NCBI Gene 16009] {aka IGFBP-3, IGgfbp3}, Atm (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) [NCBI Gene 11920] {aka C030026E19Rik}, Braf (B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase) [NCBI Gene 109880] {aka 9930012E13Rik, B-raf, Braf-2, Braf2, C230098H17, D6Ertd631e}, Ldlr (low density lipoprotein receptor) [NCBI Gene 16835] {aka Hlb301}, Ccl3 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 3) [NCBI Gene 20302] {aka G0S19-1, LD78alpha, MIP-1alpha, MIP1-(a), MIP1-alpha, Mip1a}, Atr (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related) [NCBI Gene 245000], H2ax (H2A.X variant histone) [NCBI Gene 15270] {aka H2A.X, H2afx, Hist5-2ax, gammaH2ax}, PLAU (plasminogen activator, urokinase) [NCBI Gene 5328] {aka ATF, BDPLT5, QPD, UPA, URK, u-PA}, App (amyloid beta precursor protein) [NCBI Gene 11820] {aka Abeta, Abpp, Adap, Ag, Cvap, E030013M08Rik}
- **Diseases:** -Related Diseases (MESH:D000077733), proteinuria (MESH:D011507), RIPF (MESH:D000087525), metabolic diseases (MESH:D008659), AKI (MESH:D058186), SAHF (MESH:C565785), atrial fibrillation (MESH:D001281), fibrosis (MESH:D005355), diabetic kidney disease (MESH:D003928), cancer (MESH:D009369), chronic diseases (MESH:D002908), influenza A virus infection (MESH:D007251), AD (MESH:D000544), breast cancer (MESH:D001943), amyloid (MESH:C000718787), heart failure (MESH:D006333), Lewy bodies (MESH:D020961), hypertrophy (MESH:D006984), hypertension (MESH:D006973), UUO (MESH:D014517), endothelial dysfunction (MESH:D014652), arrhythmia (MESH:D001145), thrombotic (MESH:D013927), chronic inflammation (MESH:D007249), liver fibrosis (MESH:D008103), pulmonary fibrosis (MESH:D011658), atheromas (MESH:D058226), CKD (MESH:D051436), injury to (MESH:D014947), ischemic stroke (MESH:D002544), peripheral vascular disease (MESH:D016491), bleeding (MESH:D006470), stroke (MESH:D020521), tauopathy (MESH:D024801), IPF (MESH:D054990), kidney diseases (MESH:D007674), cholesterol (MESH:C535937), lung inflammation (MESH:D011014), obesity (MESH:D009765), vascular (MESH:D057772), cardiac hypertrophy (MESH:D006332), sarcopenia (MESH:D055948), atrophy (MESH:D001284), age- (MESH:D019588), neurotoxic (MESH:D020258), lung injury (MESH:D055370), lung scarring (MESH:D002921), PD (MESH:D010300), cognitive decline (MESH:D003072), neuroinflammation (MESH:D000090862), CVD (MESH:D002318), ATII (MESH:D002282), Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (MESH:D054549), glomerulosclerosis (MESH:D005921), neurodegeneration (MESH:D019636), coronary artery disease (MESH:D003324), Mitochondrial dysfunction (MESH:D028361), diabetic (MESH:D003920), IRI (MESH:D015427), COPD (MESH:D029424)
- **Chemicals:** ROS (MESH:D017382), NAD+ (MESH:D009243), PAI-039 (MESH:C488103), phosphate (MESH:D010710), alpha-ketoglutarate (MESH:D007656), Dasatinib (MESH:D000069439), amino acid (MESH:D000596), H2O2 (MESH:D006861), ATP (MESH:D000255), metformin (MESH:D008687), losartan (MESH:D019808), acetyl-CoA (MESH:D000105), ABT263 (MESH:C528561), tert-butyl hydroperoxide (MESH:D020122), glucose (MESH:D005947), Quercetin (MESH:D011794), dopamine (MESH:D004298), isoproterenol (MESH:D007545), CSE (-), nitric oxide (MESH:D009569), L-NAME (MESH:D019331), STZ (MESH:D013311), Q (MESH:D005973), rapamycin (MESH:D020123), exenatide (MESH:D000077270), TM5441 (MESH:C000623364), lipid (MESH:D008055), bleomycin (MESH:D001761), doxorubicin (MESH:D004317), D (MESH:D003903)
- **Species:** Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, species) [taxon 10116], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]
- **Mutations:** BRAFV600E, rs2227631, rs1799889, Pro/Pro
- **Cell lines:** WI-38 — Homo sapiens (Human), Finite cell line (CVCL_0579), MCF-7 — Homo sapiens (Human), Invasive breast carcinoma of no special type, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0031), fibroblasts — Mus musculus (Mouse), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_0594), L2 — Homo sapiens (Human), Transformed cell line (CVCL_B0KY), ATII/L2 — Canis lupus familiaris (Dog), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_0424), IMR-90 — Homo sapiens (Human), Finite cell line (CVCL_0347), ESCs — Mus musculus (Mouse), Stromal cell line (CVCL_2128)

## Figures

4 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13025213/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13025213