Key points from article :
A Japanese research team said it developed a vaccine to remove so-called zombie cells.
Accumulate with age and damage nearby cells, causing aging-related diseases.
Mice administered with the vaccine showed decreases in the zombie cells.
Toru Minamino, Juntendo University professor says "...vaccine will be applied to the treatment of arterial stiffening, diabetes and other aging-related diseases".
Senescent cells refer to those that have stopped dividing but do not die.
They damage nearby healthy cells by releasing chemicals that cause inflammation.
The vaccine enables the body to create antibodies that attach themselves to senescent cells.
Which are removed by white blood cells that adhere to the antibodies.
When administered to aged mice, their frailty progression was slower than that of unvaccinated mice.
Side effects from the new vaccine were fewer, while its efficacy lasted longer.
Research by Juntendo University published in Nature Aging.
