Scientists are rethinking anti-aging strategies after finding that senescent cells, often called zombie cells, are not uniformly harmful and may in some cases protect tissue during wound healing and development.
A review published May 4 in Aging-US by researchers at Sichuan University’s West China Hospital described growing evidence that senescent cell populations are heterogeneous. Some subsets appear to limit fibrosis and support repair, while others drive chronic inflammation linked to age-related disease.
Authors Jian Deng and Dong Yang argued that indiscriminately eliminating all senescent cells could disrupt beneficial functions. They advocated precision geroprotection that targets maladaptive senescent populations using tools such as senolytic drugs, CAR-T immunotherapies or senomorphics that suppress harmful secretions without killing cells.
First-generation senolytics including dasatinib and quercetin disrupted survival pathways broadly, but newer approaches aim to identify surface markers distinguishing pathological from protective senescent cells. The review said single-cell omics and lineage tracing will be essential before therapies move into clinical use.
The Aging-US review described evolution from first-generation senolytics such as dasatinib, quercetin and fisetin toward CAR-T cells targeting senescence-associated surface antigens including uPAR. Senomorphics suppress the senescence-associated secretory phenotype without inducing cell death, offering an alternative when wholesale elimination risks impairing tissue repair. Authors emphasized prevention-first strategies to reduce harmful senescence before clinical intervention becomes necessary.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
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Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/