Key points from article :
A new study published in Nature Medicine by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), found that senolytic therapy had only subtle benefits for age-related bone health in older women. Senolytic drugs, which aim to clear out senescent cells—aged cells that no longer function properly—have been explored as a potential anti-aging treatment. While earlier mouse studies showed promising results, this clinical trial found limited impact in humans.
The study involved 60 postmenopausal women aged 62–88, who were divided into two groups. One group received a senolytic drug combination (dasatinib and quercetin) for 20 weeks, while the control group did not receive treatment. Researchers measured markers of bone degradation and formation. While there was no difference in bone degradation between the groups, those who took the senolytic drugs initially showed a slight increase in bone formation markers at two and four weeks, but this effect disappeared by the 20-week mark.
These results suggest that senolytic therapies may not have a strong impact on bone health in humans, at least in the short term. The study underscores the need for further research to determine whether reducing senescent cell burden can lead to meaningful clinical benefits. Future studies should also include men to assess the broader safety and effectiveness of senolytic treatments.
