senolytics tagged posts

Drugs that Kill ‘Zombie’ Cells may Benefit some Older Women, but not all

Drugs that selectively kill senescent cells may benefit otherwise healthy older women but are not a “one-size-fits-all” remedy, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Specifically, these drugs may only benefit people with a high number of senescent cells, according to findings publishing July 2 in Nature Medicine.

Senescent cells are malfunctioning cells in the body that lapse into a state of dormancy. These cells, also known as “zombie cells,” can’t divide but can drive chronic inflammation and tissue dysfunction linked to aging and chronic diseases. Senolytic drugs clear tissues of senescent cells.

In the 20-week, phase 2 randomized controlled trial, 60 healthy women past menopause intermittently received a senolytic combination composed of FDA-approved dasatinib and quercetin, a...

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Drug cocktail reduces aging-associated disc degeneration

Therapies that target aging cells early pave the way to easing back pain. Chronic back pain affects upwards of 15 million adults in the US, racking up billions in healthcare costs and lost work days. Degeneration of the discs that cushion and support vertebrae, a common occurrence of aging, is a major contributor to low back pain. Although a widespread condition, few treatments are available. Now Jefferson’s Makarand Risbud, PhD, James J. Maguire Jr. Professor of Spine Research in orthopedic surgery, division director of orthopedic research and co-director of the cell biology and regenerative medicine graduate program, and colleagues have shown that treating mice with a drug cocktail that removes aging cells reduces disc degeneration...

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