5 replies to this topic

[reason]

Senescent cells accumulate with age, disrupting the tissues they are in, promoting inflammation, and undertaking a range of other bad behavior. Their presence is one of the causes of degenerative aging, and thus targeting them for destruction or reversal of their senescent state is a priority in longevity science:

Research has revealed that the presence of senescent cells is worse than one might think. These cells assume a special secretory form (SASP) in which they release various chemical signals that harm the health of nearby cells. In a domino effect they then damage their neighbors further accelerating the aging process.

A breakthrough study earlier this year showed that using specialized genetic methods to remove senescent cells throughout the lifespan of rats reduced signs of aging in the animals.

The current state of the science review article [is] written by two of the scientists who performed that study. In the paper they describe how senescent cells lead to aging in many tissues in the body. They further point out that aging of tissue is the reason for the development of diseases. "Therapeutic intervention in normal aging may prevent comorbidity and delay mortality in the elderly," they write. "In this way, targeting of senescent cells during the course of normal aging would be a preventative strategy rather than a treatment."

It is also pointed out that senescent stem cells may poison stem cell niches reducing the ability to regenerate and rejuvenate tissue so that removing them there could have diffuse age reducing benefit. Of course the big question is how senescent cells could be regularly removed from all over and within the human body other than embedding programmable genes before birth like was done in lab rats. The answers remain vague but the authors offer an idea, and some hope: "If a common signature is identified for senescent cells in vivo, strategies to alleviate these effects with compounds or drugs, whether by dampening the SASP profile or by completely removing the senescent cells, can begin to be elucidated."

Link: http://extremelongev...ce-human-aging/

<br> <br>View the full article

[Mind]

My preference would be to remove the senescent cells. What is everyone else's opinion? I don't like the idea of "dampening the SASP profile". I know that this is the easier route, but it is the sledgehammer approach. The chemicals used to dampen the SASP signals will also affect healthy cells with who-knows-what side effects.

[nowayout]

Well, there is what one would prefer to do in a ideal world, and then there is what one can do now and in the foreseeable future (for those of us who don't have the luxury of waiting 50 years). One thing we can already do is reduce inflammatory cytokines released by senescent cells. Certainly, there is a lot of evidence for various anti-inflammatory medications reducing the incidence of various diseases of aging.

[niner]

My impression is that SASP is rather specialized, so it might be possible to selectively suppress the secretion phenotype without messing up too many other things. Didn't we just see a paper recently (not the genetically altered mouse paper that Reason mentions; something newer.) that said something about a way to recognize senescent cells from some sort of surface marker? It seemed very promising at any rate, but now I don't remember exactly where I saw it. Too many senescent cells clogging my brain, apparently.

[Logic]

My impression is that SASP is rather specialized, so it might be possible to selectively suppress the secretion phenotype without messing up too many other things. Didn't we just see a paper recently (not the genetically altered mouse paper that Reason mentions; something newer.) that said something about a way to recognize senescent cells from some sort of surface marker? It seemed very promising at any rate, but now I don't remember exactly where I saw it. Too many senescent cells clogging my brain, apparently.

http://www.longecity...enescent-cells/

[YOLF]

Hmmm... Ok, so any reason why we can't use a virus that is attracted to receptors on senescent and damaged cells and then kill them off with DRACO antivirals? Draco can selectively kill cells that have viral infections.

I definitely agree that we should purge the broken and keep the good ones functioning for as long as possible.

Edited by cryonicsculture, 22 December 2012 - 08:48 PM.