Results from a Pilot Human Trial of Senolytics versus Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Researchers here report on results from an initial pilot trial of the use of a senolytic therapy to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The data is perhaps much as expected for a first pass at removing senescent cells associated with a specific condition, using the tools available today: a starting point, benefits observed, but definitely room for improvement. The particular senolytic combination used here is cheap and readily available and can remove as much as half of senescent cells in some tissues in mice, but the degree of clearance varies widely by tissue type, and the optimal human dose is yet to be determined. Typically the next trial following an initial feasibility study will test a range of doses. The past few years of animal data have indicated that the inflammatory signaling of senescent cells, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), plays an important role in producing and maintaining age-related fibrosis in multiple tissues, but may not be the only process involved. Fibrosis is an outcome of disarray in regenerative and tissue maintenance, in which scar-like connective tissue is laid down in place of correctly formed tissue. Organ function is degraded as a result, and in the case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, death follows within a few years of diagnosis, as the lungs fail. Cellular senescence is a key mechanism that drives age-related diseases, but has yet to be targeted therapeutically in humans. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosi...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs