A Senolytic Treatment Improves Visual Function in a Small Trial for Macular Degeneration

UNITY Biotechnology recently reported positive results for their senolytic drug candidate UBX1325, probably derived from navitoclax. Senolytic therapies selectively destroy senescent cells in aged tissues, reducing their inflammatory signaling and contribution to tissue dysfunction. In this case, macular degeneration patients showed improved visual function after treatment, though one should wait for a larger study group before calling this an unqualified success. UNITY Biotechnology's trials are essentially testing the thesis that localized removal of senescent cells can address pathology, and thus low, localized doses of chemotherapeutic-derived senolytic drugs can be used, minimizing side-effects. In this case, the senolytic is injected into the eye. An earlier trial of localized senolytic administration to arthritic knee joints failed to show meaningful benefits in patients, which led to some discussion in the community over whether or not localized delivery of senolytics could ever work. Is the contribution of inflammatory senescent cell signaling elsewhere in the body sizable enough to continue to cause issues after the local population is removed? UNITY Biotechnology will clearly be continuing to a larger study for macular degeneration, so we shall see if the results continue to look promising. UNITY Biotechnology, Inc. ("UNITY"), a biotechnology company developing therapeutics to slow, halt, or reverse diseases of aging, today announced 24-week data fr...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs