zombie cell

Noun

zombie cell (plural zombie cells)

1. (informal) A senescent cell, which avoids programmed cell death (apoptosis) and may damage other cells (including causing them to become senescent) by secretions associated with senescence-associated secretory phenotype.
   • Senescent cells are often referred to as "zombie cells," because even though they should be dead, they refuse to die. In the petri dish and in frozen, thinly sliced tissue sections, we can stain zombie cells blue because they make a rare enzyme called beta-galactosidase, and when we do that, they...2019, David A. Sinclair, Matthew D. LaPlante, Lifespan, Simon & Schuster, page 150
   • Known as senolytic therapies, these drugs destroy the inflammation-producing zombie cells believed to be one of the causes of aging.2020, Peter H. Diamandis, Steven Kotler, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Simon & Schuster, page 175