The World Authority For Unbiased Longevity News™️

Our Mission: SuperAging™
(n.) Using new medical science and biohacking to slow down the aging process, repair existing damage and live a dramatically longer life in peak physical and mental health.

Credit: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/senolytics-senescent-cells-stopping-age-related-single-chandran/

Researchers identify senescent immune cells that could be targeted by senolytic drugs

June 3, 2021

Scientists have discovered that senescent immune cells are the most dangerous type of senescent cells.
As they accumulate in the body, senescent immune cells can cause inflammation and trigger the onset of age-related diseases.
A new class of drugs known as senolytics have been developed to combat the hazardous effects of these senescent cells.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School have discovered that senescent immune cells are the most dangerous type of senescent cells. The study—whose findings were published in the medical journal, Nature—analyzes how immune cells become senescent when they are stressed or damaged within the body. These cells then accumulate in our internal organs; triggering inflammation, accelerated aging, and the onset of age-related diseases. Spearheaded by Dr. Laura Niedernhofer—lead researcher of the study, MD, PhD, and professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota Medical School—the team found that senescent immune cells cause severe tissue damage throughout the body, thereby reducing lifespan. These senescent immune cells should be targeted early on to prevent them from wreaking havoc. As a matter of fact, in 2015, Dr. Niedernhofer’s team worked with a group of collaborators from the Mayo Clinic to identify a new class of drugs known as senolytics. Senolytics act by selectively removing senescent cells from the body. However, these drugs have to be targeted to a particular cell type; meaning that one senolytic drug does not have the capability of killing both senescent liver cells and senescent brain cells in one go. Nevertheless, Dr. Niedernhofer is confident that since the medical fraternity is now able to identify the dangers of senescent immune cells, they can work towards creating senolytic drugs that target these senescent immune cells. The discovery could further help identify biomarkers within immune cell populations to figure out which organs are at high risk of tissue damage and rapid aging; and then come up with the most effective method of senolytic therapy.

References: https://med.umn.edu/news-events/u-m-medical-school-researchers-identify-target-senolytic-drugs

Researchers identify senescent immune cells that could be targeted by senolytic drugs

Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply