Key points from article :
Research team has discovered a medical agent capable of only removing senescent cells.
Succeeded in improving symptoms of aging-related diseases such as arteriosclerosis and diabetes in mice.
Cells under stress transform into senescent cells and accumulate in the body with aging.
Team looked for the gene necessary for a senescent cell to survive and identified glutaminase 1 (GLS1).
The inside of a senescent cell is acidified and GLS1 actively works to neutralize and keep it alive.
With an inhibitor of GLS1, senescent cells in a variety of organs were eliminated.
Expected to have similar effects on the human body, as GLS1 in the human body also becomes more active with aging.
Already been used in clinical trials as a candidate for cancer treatment.
“It may also be effective for treating other age-associated diseases such as dementia,” Makoto Nakanishi, lead researcher and professor.
Research by University of Tokyo, Niigata University and Kyushu University published in the Journal Science.
