Senolytic therapy
DESenolytische Therapie
Reviewed by Maurice Lichtenberg
Senolytic therapy uses drugs or natural compounds to selectively eliminate senescent cells, which accumulate with age and secrete a multi-component secretome (the SASP) of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, growth factors, and tissue-remodeling proteases such as MMPs. By targeting senescent-cell anti-apoptotic pathways (SCAPs) and promoting selective apoptosis in these cells, senolytics aim to reduce age-related dysfunction. Evidence is robust in animal models, but human trials remain small and early; clinical efficacy, optimal dosing, and long-term safety are unproven.
Sources
- Hickson LJ, Langhi Prata LGP, Bobart SA et al.. (2019). Senolytics decrease senescent cells in humans: Preliminary report from a clinical trial of Dasatinib plus Quercetin in individuals with diabetic kidney disease. *EBioMedicine*doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.08.069
- Justice JN, Nambiar AM, Tchkonia T et al.. (2019). Senolytics in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Results from a first-in-human, open-label, pilot study. *EBioMedicine*doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.12.052
