Senescent-cell secretions alter lymphatic pumping

This proposed hypothesis asks whether suppressing senescent cells, cells that have stopped dividing but still release signals, can restore lymph drainage after infection or disrupt repair depending on timing. It proposes that their secretions act through peptide signals from sensory nerves to shift muscle in collecting lymphatic vessels, which drain tissue fluid. Effective rhythmic contractions would give way to sustained tonic activation, a held contraction that pumps poorly, within minutes to hours. The model predicts this shift occurs before changes in vessel-lining cell identity or donor-reactive immune-cell clones. Testing requires measuring net lymph transport alongside contraction frequency, verifying the sensory-signaling link, and testing timing-specific neurokinin rescue.