mTOR and Cellular Senescence

Now that the research community has finally woken up to the significance of cellular senescence in aging, a point long advocated for by the SENS Research Foundation and Methuselah Foundation, scientists are busily patching it in to their existing understanding and models of aging. This is just as true for studies of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) as elsewhere. This is one of the more popular areas of research to emerge from the study of calorie restriction, an intervention that slows aging in near all species tested to date. There is a sizable contingent of researchers interested in finding ways to mimic some fraction of the benefits of calorie restriction through therapies that target mTOR. Since calorie restriction slows aging, albeit to a much larger degree in short-lived animals than in humans, it is generally agreed that it also slows the accumulation of senescent cells, one of the causes of aging. Thus to the degree that mTOR is involved in the calorie restriction response, we should also expect mTOR to be relevant in some ways to the harms done by cellular senescence: either reducing the number of cells that become senescent, or reducing the harm done by cells once they are senescent. Since we know that calorie restriction doesn't greatly extend life in humans (though it is very good for long term health), we should not expect these effects to be large. Certainly, senolytic therapies that clear out senescent cells should have a much greater positive impa...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs