AT a point in time when alternate solutions to pharmaceuticals are in demand, scientists have identified a class of drugs they say dramatically slows the aging process, reversing frailty, improving cardiac health and longevity.
Hailing from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the Mayo Clinic, among other institutions, the research team has selected the title of "senolytics" to classify their new drug discovery.
"It may eventually become feasible to delay, prevent, alleviate or even reverse multiple chronic diseases and disabilities as a group, instead of just one at a time," says senior author Dr. James Kirkland, a professor at the Mayo Clinic.
Cheers to your 'healthspan
Senolytics work by targeting senescent cells, those aged cells that have stopped dividing.
Mice enjoy more time free of disease – which the research team defines as "healthspan" – when senescent cells are killed off.
Yet targeting these cells without damaging others is tricky, for senescent cells take on a sort of survival orientation that helps them resist death, according to the study.
Using two compounds, the cancer drug dasatinib – sold under the name Sprycel – and quercetin, a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory, the scientists discovered they worked to selectively snuff out senescent cells.
"We view this study as a big, first step toward developing treatments that can be given safely to patients to extend healthspan or to treat age-related diseases and disorders," says co-author Dr. Paul Robbins, a professor at TSRI.
They tested their formula on mice, and found the compounds improved cardiovascular health and reduced osteoporosis – sometimes in a single course of treatment.
Mice weakened by radiation treatment regained their exercise endurance within five days after a single dose and the effect lasted for seven months, according to the study, which was published in the journal Aging Cell.
Although the scientists say more experimentation is necessary before the drugs are ready for human trials, they see few limits to what they could accomplish.
"Senescence is involved in a number of diseases and pathologies so there could be any number of applications for these and similar compounds," says Robbins.
"Also, we anticipate that treatment with senolytic drugs to clear damaged cells would be infrequent, reducing the chance of side effects." – AFP Relaxnews
Hailing from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the Mayo Clinic, among other institutions, the research team has selected the title of "senolytics" to classify their new drug discovery.
"It may eventually become feasible to delay, prevent, alleviate or even reverse multiple chronic diseases and disabilities as a group, instead of just one at a time," says senior author Dr. James Kirkland, a professor at the Mayo Clinic.
Cheers to your 'healthspan
Senolytics work by targeting senescent cells, those aged cells that have stopped dividing.
Mice enjoy more time free of disease – which the research team defines as "healthspan" – when senescent cells are killed off.
Yet targeting these cells without damaging others is tricky, for senescent cells take on a sort of survival orientation that helps them resist death, according to the study.
Using two compounds, the cancer drug dasatinib – sold under the name Sprycel – and quercetin, a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory, the scientists discovered they worked to selectively snuff out senescent cells.
"We view this study as a big, first step toward developing treatments that can be given safely to patients to extend healthspan or to treat age-related diseases and disorders," says co-author Dr. Paul Robbins, a professor at TSRI.
They tested their formula on mice, and found the compounds improved cardiovascular health and reduced osteoporosis – sometimes in a single course of treatment.
Mice weakened by radiation treatment regained their exercise endurance within five days after a single dose and the effect lasted for seven months, according to the study, which was published in the journal Aging Cell.
Although the scientists say more experimentation is necessary before the drugs are ready for human trials, they see few limits to what they could accomplish.
"Senescence is involved in a number of diseases and pathologies so there could be any number of applications for these and similar compounds," says Robbins.
"Also, we anticipate that treatment with senolytic drugs to clear damaged cells would be infrequent, reducing the chance of side effects." – AFP Relaxnews
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