HSP90 Inhibitors as Another New Class of Potential Senolytic Drug Compounds

The increasing number of senescent cells present in older tissues is one of the root causes of degenerative aging. It is also the closest to being effectively reversed. An open access paper describing the evidence for HSP90 inibitors to selectively destroy senescent cells was published earlier this month. I had half missed it in passing and half skipped over it in favor of a more general review of the current state of senolytic drug development, pharmaceuticals capable of clearing senescent cells, but on reflection I think it is worth pointing out. The number of senolytic drug candidates has not yet reached a count of twenty, and some of them are probably not all that great, such as quercetin and fisetin, while others are chemotherapeutics with enough in the way of ugly side-effects to be avoided if there is a choice in the matter. So new categories of potential senolytics are worth noting. Like many classes of drug candidates, HSP90 inhibitors have been considered for use against cancer. There is a strong connection between the phenomenon of cellular senescence and cancer research, through scientists in that field have generally been interested in generating more senescent cells rather than fewer of them. They are trying to push tumor cells and potentially cancerous cells into becoming senescent rather than replicating rampantly, enhancing the natural function of of cellular senescence as a means to reduce cancer risk. Unfortunately, the fact that chemotherapeutics ge...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs