Senescence in Chronic Liver Diseases: Cause or Consequence

On May 15-16, 2027, at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW), join AASLD faculty as they explore how cellular senescence contributes to chronic liver disease and impaired regeneration, from underlying mechanisms to potential therapeutic targets. 

The program led by Chairs, Samar Ibrahim, Yasuko Iwakiri, and Rajat Singh will examine: 

Cellular Mechanisms: The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), autophagy, telomere biology, and epigenetic regulation. 

Cellular and Disease Contexts: How senescence across liver and intestinal cell populations contributes to MASLD/MASH, cholestatic liver disease, aging, inflammation, fibrosis, and gut–liver communication. 

Therapeutic Strategies: The potential applications and limitations of senolytic, senomorphic, cellular, and regenerative approaches to chronic liver disease. 

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When & Where

Date : Saturday, May 15, 8:00 am - Sunday, May 16, 5:00 pm (EDT)
Location : Washington, DC

Program At-a-Glance

Session 1: Introduction to Senescence, Moderator: Diana Jurk 

  • SASP in MASLD progression: Lessons from Hedgehog-deficient Hepatocytes 
    • Speaker: Anna Mae Diehl 
  • Targeting P16Ink4a-expressing Cells in the Liver Reduces Hepatic Steatosis 
    • Speaker: Diana Jurk 
  • Ex-vivo Models of Senescence 
    • THEMIS Attenuates MASH by Suppressing Disease-associated Hepatocyte Induction 

Session 2: Cell-type specific Senescence in Chronic Liver Disease – I, Moderator: Nidhi Jalan Sakrikar 

  • Cellular Mechanisms Determining Cholestatic Liver Disease Outcomes 
    • Speaker: Nidhi Jalan Sakrikar 
  • P21+TREM2+ Macrophages Fuel Inflammaging and Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease 
  • Role of Liver Sinusoidal Cells in Chronic Metabolic Liver Disease 
    • Speaker: Yasuko Iwakiri 
  • Transcriptional Profiling of Pediatric Cholestatic Livers Identifies Distinct Macrophage Populations 
    • Speaker: Sarah Taylor 

Session 3: Cell-type Specific Senescence in Chronic Liver Disease – II, Moderator: Tatiana Kisseleva 

  • Hepatic Stellate Cell Senescence 
    • Speaker: Scott Friedman 
  • The Role of Serpine1/PAI-1 in Chronic Liver disease 
  • Targeting Hepatocyte Senescence to Improve Steatotic Liver Disease (K01-recipient) 
  • Host Hepatocyte Senescence and Hepatocyte Transplantation Success 

Session 4: Senescence in Gut-Liver Communication, Moderator: Eiji Hara 

  • Crosstalk Between Gut Microbiota and Cellular Senescence 
  • Senolytic CAR T Cells Reverse Aging-associated Defects in Intestinal Regeneration and Fitness 
  • Intestinal Role in Alcohol-associated Liver Disease 
  • The Gut-Liver Axis in Metabolic Liver Disease 
    • Speaker: Naiara Beraza 

Session 5: Senolytics and Senomorphics, Moderator: Liya Pi 

  • Senolytic CAR T Cells 
  • Senolytics and Senomorphics 
  • Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Human MASLD 
    • Speaker: Abraham Stijn Meijnikman 
  • Clearing Senescent Cells to Reduce MASH-driven Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Mice 

Session 6: Senescence in the Aging Liver, Moderator: Rajat Singh 

  • Autophagy Failure and Accelerated MASH Progression 
    • Speaker: Rajat Singh 
  • Telomeres and Senescence 
  • Senescent-cell Effects on the Intestinal Stem-cell Niche 
  • Epigenetic Regulation of Senescence in Aging Liver 

Registration Information 

Registration for AASLD ticketed programming must be completed with your DDW registration. Visit the DDW website for more registration details.

Type Date Opens
Sponsoring Society Members Active AASLD members receive early DDW registration access! January 20, 2027
Non-Sponsoring Society Members January 27, 2027
Early Bird Registration Free registration is available to AASLD Members who are postdoctoral fellows, trainees, students, and residents throughout the early-bird period only. March 10, 2027