Possible Role Of Senescent Cells In New Neurodegeneration Pathway

The anti-aging industry and research has been growing worldwide, with a focus on clearing away senescent cells that clutter the body with age, animal studies have offered preclinical theory that removing them with new drugs may help people live longer and healthier lives. Mayo clinical researchers are offering more data to back that up and are showing a new pathway in neurodegeneration.

Researchers suggest they were able to determine that microglia and astrocyte cells were most likely to turn into rogue zombies; by clearing these senescent cells from model mice brains they had targeted a key pathway which is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease; and were able to tamp down inflammation that had an impact on memory.

Tyler Bussian explains that mouse models were used which produced tangles of tau protein in neurons and had genetic modifications to allow for senescent cell elimination; and when these cells were removed the diseased animals were found to retain ability to form memories, signs of inflammation were eliminated, neurofibrillary tangles did not develop, and the animals maintained normal brain mass.

Researchers say it will be a big step and complex challenge to move preclinical studies involving disease animal models to testing the concept in humans. Billions have been spent on Alzheimer’s with little to show for it. The current theme of trying new things with a better understanding that bending the curve of neurodegeneration in patients exhibiting symptoms of their disease will be difficult.

Unity is an upstart and one of the advanced biotechs in the senescence field that has been able to translate their preclinical work into Phase I which starts with osteoarthritis; investigators in the field believe the work may lead to a host of ailments, and Alzheimer’s may just be one of them.