Key points from article :
Mayo Clinic researchers investigated whether drugs that eliminate senescent cells, also known as "zombie cells," could benefit healthy older women.
In a 20-week randomized controlled trial, 60 postmenopausal women received a combination of dasatinib and quercetin, a natural compound found in some foods, to target these senescent cells.
The study, published in Nature Medicine, revealed that the drug combination primarily benefited women with a high number of senescent cells, improving bone formation and density in this group.
However, the treatment did not reduce bone resorption, the process of bone breakdown, in the participants.
The researchers caution against the indiscriminate use of senolytic supplements like quercetin, emphasizing the need for personalized treatment plans based on individual senescent cell levels.
While this study focused on bone health in aging women, the researchers suggest that senolytic drugs could potentially be tailored for various diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, dementia, and heart disease, pending further research.
The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.
