In the human body, cells are normally removed when they become damaged or reach the end of their cycle. However, senescent cells enter a state in which they stop dividing, resist normal cell death, and remain metabolically active. They release inflammatory molecules called the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) which contains inflammatory signals that can affect nearby healthy cells and contribute to age-related changes.
How could senolytic drugs help?
Senolytic drugs aim to remove zombie cells without affecting healthy cells. Removing these cells can help to reduce chronic inflammation, improve tissue function and delay age-related diseases.
What does current research show?
During research, one of the drugs that gained attention was dasatinib and quercetin(D+Q). Dasatinib is an established prescription medicine used in cancer treatment. In animal studies, this drug combination reduced senescent cells and improved tissue cells.
In humans, studies have explored senolytics with (D+Q) combination in conditions like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and diabetic kidney disease, whereas researchers investigated UBX0101, an experimental senolytic drug to target senoscent cells in osteoarthritis. However, these studies are generally early stage with limited sample sizes. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed before senolytic therapy can become part of routine clinical care.
| Condition | Senolytic studied | Research status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis | Dasatinib + Quercetin | Human pilot trials | |
| Diabetic Kidney Disease | Dasatinib + Quercetin | Small human pilot study | |
| Osteoarthritis | UBX0101 | Human clinical trials, development was discontinued after disappointing efficacy results |
Researchers still need to determine:
- Which tissues should be targeted?
- How much senescent cell removal is beneficial?
- How often treatment should be administered?
- Whether different diseases require different senolytic drugs?
- What long term effects might occur?
- Whether same senescent cells are harmful in humans that were in animals?
Current evidence does not prove that senolytics can make humans live longer or stop ageing. For now, they are viewed as promising experimental therapies, not an anti-ageing treatment.
References:
- National Institute of Ageing: Cellular Senescence and Ageing Research
- Mayo Clinic: Translational Gero science Research on Senolytics
- PubMed: Cellular Senescence: A Translational Perspective
Would you choose a treatment that can extend health span, even if it does not extend overall lifespan?
MBH/PS