In Memphis, Tennessee, scientists are working on new ways to treat age-related diseases and slow the ageing process. Greg Armstrong from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is studying anti-ageing treatments for childhood cancer survivors. These patients often age faster than their peers due to chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
How Cells Affect Ageing
“85% of children survive cancer, but many face long-term health problems,” Armstrong says. These patients often develop heart disease or strokes at a young age. By age 30, their bodies may resemble those of people in their 70s or 80s. The cause is cellular senescence. In this state, cells stop working and release harmful molecules that speed up ageing and cause disease.
Armstrong’s team is testing senolytics. These include the chemotherapy drug dasatinib and the plant compound quercetin. They are testing these on around 50 patients. The goal is to see if these drugs can improve fitness and extend life.
Senolytic Research Progress
Studies on animals have shown good results. In mice with age-related diseases, tissue healed after senolytic treatment. “The risks must be low,” says Johannes Grillari from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute in Vienna. Senolytics may help treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and lung conditions. They could even help donor organs stay healthy for transplants.
Older donor organs have many senescent cells. These cells cause inflammation and increase the chance of organ rejection. Senolytics could reduce these cells and improve transplant success.
The Future of Anti-Ageing Medicine
Not all senescent cells are bad, says Tohru Minamino from Juntendo University in Japan. Some cells help heal wounds. Minamino is working on an “ageing vaccine” to target harmful senescent cells. Early tests in mice show positive results, including longer lives.
However, there are challenges. Stijn Meijnikman, who leads a senolytic study on liver disease in the Netherlands, says the body needs to be able to regenerate. “It’s not enough to remove bad cells if new cells can’t replace them,” he says. Despite these problems, the goal remains: anti-ageing treatments may slow ageing and improve life quality for many people.
