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Many of the current methods of killing senescent cells hinge on apoptosis in some way. UNITY Biotechnology: using repurposed chemotherapeutic drugs like navito

Many of the current methods of killing senescent cells hinge on apoptosis in some way. UNITY Biotechnology: using repurposed chemotherapeutic drugs like navitoclax to selectively drive senescent cells into apoptosis by suppressing on the mechanisms that prevents that fate. They also have antibodies and immunotherapies in their backlog of patents, but if they haven't got it to work by now, not likely to be a direction they take in favor of the drugs. Oisin Biotechnologies: programmed gene therapy that assesses p16 levels in the cell and then induces caspase expression and apoptosis if it looks senescent. SIWA Therapeutics: monoclonal antibodies. Everon Biosciences: small molecule drugs and related immunotherapies. There is a lot of money sloshing into the field of senescent cell clearance at the moment, and given that the target market is ultimately every adult human for a treatment undertaken every few years, I think there is plenty of room for more players.

Danihan 10y ago
I'm not clear on exactly what happens once the senescent cells are cleared. Can an elderly body body replace these cells on its own, or would senescent cell clearing generally need to be paired with a stem-cell replacement protocol of some kind?
- reasonattlm 10y ago
  Yes, the cells can be replaced. In old people, with their declining stem cell populations, that replacement will be slower and less effective. So give them lower doses over longer periods of time. Stem cell replacement is something that should be developed for use in old people anyway; the more of that going on the better.
ilaksh 10y ago
Do those other therapies work in humans?
- reasonattlm 10y ago
  We'll find out in the next 12-24 months. UNITY is starting trials this year, and Oisin won't be too far behind. If they don't work in humans it will be a great surprise given the science to date - an unlikely outcome. The open question is the degree to which specific diseases are rolled back and life extended, given that this is only one of a number of mechanisms causing aging.

Danihan 10y ago

I'm not clear on exactly what happens once the senescent cells are cleared. Can an elderly body body replace these cells on its own, or would senescent cell clearing generally need to be paired with a stem-cell replacement protocol of some kind?

reasonattlm 10y ago
Yes, the cells can be replaced. In old people, with their declining stem cell populations, that replacement will be slower and less effective. So give them lower doses over longer periods of time. Stem cell replacement is something that should be developed for use in old people anyway; the more of that going on the better.

ilaksh 10y ago

Do those other therapies work in humans?

reasonattlm 10y ago
We'll find out in the next 12-24 months. UNITY is starting trials this year, and Oisin won't be too far behind. If they don't work in humans it will be a great surprise given the science to date - an unlikely outcome. The open question is the degree to which specific diseases are rolled back and life extended, given that this is only one of a number of mechanisms causing aging.