Enthusiasm for Senolytic Therapies

I think it is entirely appropriate to greet the advent of senolytics with enthusiasm. These treatments are the first legitimate rejuvenation therapies to successfully target one of the root causes of aging, the accumulation of lingering senescent cells in old tissues. The first human trial data is approaching publication, but even before it arrives, the evidence to date strongly suggests that meaningful levels of rejuvenation can be achieved in old people at a very low cost. The first senolytic drugs (such as dasatinib and navitoclax) and plant extracts (such as fisetin and piperlongumine) cost very little, and remove only some senescent cells, no more than half in some tissues, and far fewer than that in others. Nonetheless, in mouse studies they reliably reduce chronic inflammation, reverse the progression of numerous conditions ranging from arthritis to Alzheimer's disease, and extend healthy life span even when applied a limited number of times in very late life. As we get older, more and more of our the cells in our bodies become dysfunctional and enter into a state known as senescence. These senescent cells no longer divide or support the tissues and organs of which they are part; instead, they secrete a range of harmful inflammatory chemical signals, which are known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Dr. Judith Campisi from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, along with her research team, identified that senescent cells secreted the...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs