A team of scientists from the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the Mayo Clinic created a new group of drugs that significantly slow the aging process.

They improve cardiac function, help to maintain bone strength longer and increase life expectancy.

At least in laboratory mice.

The first data on fantastic drugs, which have already been christened senolytics (senolytics), were published on March 9 in the online magazine Aging Cell.

"We view this study as the first step towards creating revolutionary therapy that is safe for patients to prolong life and is capable of combating numerous age-related diseases. When the senolithics begin to be used in clinical practice, the results will turn the medicine over, "said one of the creators of unique drugs, Professor TSRI Paul Robbins (Paul Robbins).

"Prototypes of cenolytic agents have proven their ability to alleviate numerous phenomena associated with the general aging of the organism. They can delay, prevent, alleviate, and even reverse a variety of chronic diseases in the elderly, "says Professor of Medicine, Dr. James Kirkland of the Mayo Clinic, who led the new study.

Search for a new target. Sensitive cells (senescent cells) - cells that have ceased to share - accumulate with age, accelerating the aging process of our body.

With the help of new drugs, American researchers managed to increase the life span of mice by affecting this group of cells. But they recognize that before the creation of drugs that would suit a person, it will take a long time. In the course of their work, they faced the problem of identifying cells that need to be killed, without hurting the surrounding healthy cells.

Scientists suspected that the senescent cells for some reason are more tenacious and resistant to stress and damage. They conducted a transcriptional analysis and found that the cells, like cancer cells, are characterized by an increased activity of "survival genes" that help them resist programmed cell death - apoptosis. This became the criterion for the selection of candidates for the role of drugs for old age.

Using the information received, the scientists selected two medicinal products available today - the anti-cancer drug dasatinib (dasatinib), which is marketed under the trade name Sprycel®, and quercetin, a common natural substance that is used in the form of bioadditives.

Further experiments with cell cultures have shown that both of these substances selectively kill sensory cells. Each of them has its own unique features. Dasatinib destroys the senescent fat progenitor cells, while quercetin is more effective against senescent endothelial cells and bone marrow stem cells. The combination of dasatinib + quercetin was the most successful.

Wonderful results The team thoroughly studied the effect of both drugs on mice.

"In animal models, it was demonstrated that these substances improved heart function and tolerance to exercise, reduced the risk of osteoporosis and strengthened bone tissue, increased overall life expectancy. It is noteworthy that there was only one course of treatment with these drugs, "says Dr. Niedernhofer,.

In older mice, heart function was improved within 5 days after taking one (!) Dose of these drugs, and tolerance to exercise in mice significantly weakened by radiotherapy. The effect persisted for at least 7 months after the course of treatment. Periodic recurrence of treatment markedly increased the life span of animals, delayed the development of age-related diseases, including degeneration of intervertebral discs and osteoporosis.

The authors warn that before using this combination of drugs in humans it is necessary to conduct additional studies.

They noted that both drugs have a number of side effects, at least with long-term use.

Nevertheless, the researchers are confident that their discovery has a bright future. They say that the senescent cells are involved in the development of a variety of pathologies, so the cenolithics can be used for a variety of indications. As for the possible toxicity, Dr. Robbins believes that taking these medications should be periodic, uninvolved, but sufficient to destroy accumulated useless cells medbe. en.

Keywords:.