Senolytics are a class of drugs designed to target and eliminate senescent cells, which are cells that have stopped dividing and contribute to aging and age-related diseases. These drugs have shown promise in preclinical studies for extending health span and treating age-related diseases.
Key Insights from Research Papers:
- Senolytics have been shown to alleviate disease in numerous organs, improve physical function, and suppress mortality causes in preclinical models, suggesting their potential to extend health span and treat age-related diseases.
- Preclinical models indicate that senolytics may be beneficial for treating metabolic dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, and complications arising from diabetes and obesity.
- Chronic senolytic treatment has been reported to improve vasomotor function and reduce vascular stiffness in aged or hypercholesterolemic mice, indicating potential cardiovascular benefits.
- However, the safety of senolytics like quercetin is questioned, as it may cause cell death in non-senescent endothelial cells at concentrations previously reported to be safe, suggesting a need for more refined senolytic strategies.
- Senolytics have been tested in proof-of-concept clinical trials and have shown potential in treating a variety of chronic conditions and age-related diseases, but their safety and efficacy in humans are still under investigation.
- Early pilot trials of senolytics suggest they decrease senescent cells and reduce inflammation in humans, but it is too early for senolytics to be used outside of clinical trials until more studies are completed.
- Cardiac Glycosides have been identified as having senolytic activity, offering a new potential therapeutic avenue for age-related diseases.
- The selectivity of senolytics against senescent cells is modest and cell-type-specific, and while they have shown benefits in animal models, their translation to human therapy requires careful consideration of their paradoxical effects.
- Senolytic therapies for Alzheimer's Disease have shown mixed results in human cell models, with some evidence of off-target killing, highlighting the need for more precise senolytic strategies for safe human use.
Conclusion:
Senolytics present a promising avenue for extending health span and treating a range of age-related diseases by targeting senescent cells. While preclinical studies have shown various benefits, including improved physical function and potential cardiovascular improvements, concerns about their safety, particularly regarding off-target effects, remain. The efficacy and safety of senolytics in humans are still under investigation, with early clinical trials suggesting potential benefits but also emphasizing the need for further research to refine these therapies for safe and effective use.