6 methods scientists are exploring to slow aging

As we get older, our cells also age and become less functional. Cellular senescence is a process in which cells lose the ability to divide and replicate. Senescent cells are resistant to cell death, so they’re often known as “zombie cells.” They can no longer serve a function and cause damage to neighboring cells.

A build-up of these zombie cells is a hallmark of aging linked to the deterioration of body organs and tissues and the development of age-related diseases. In lab tests, removing these cells can improve tissue function. While the precise role of senescent cells in aging is still not fully understood, they play a significant role in the body’s degenerative changes that occur over time.

Senolytics are a class of drugs that selectively eliminate senescent cells, which may help to slow the aging process. In 2016, two separate research groups published findings on the discovery of new senolytic drugs, which selectively kill senescent cells. Studies led by the University of Arkansas showed the drug ABT-263 (Navitoclax) could selectively kill senescent cells and make tissue young again. Scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel used a similar drug, ABT-737, to kill senescent cells in the lungs and skin of mice.

In a 2018 study led by Mayo Clinic researcher James Kirkland tested a combination of dasatinib, used to treat some forms of leukemia, and quercetin, a plant flavanol found in some fruits and vegetables. The drug combination was tested in aging mice to see whether it could slow physical dysfunction caused by senescent cells. It was shown to be effective, suggesting that future studies could find compounds like this that are effective in humans.