A team of experts from four universities around the world has discovered a method to combat aging based on the approach of eliminating senescent cells in the laboratory.
This technology was developed by a collaboration of experts from the University of Leicester (UK), the Open University of Catalonia (Spain), Cross River University of Technology (Nigeria), and Umm Al-Qura University (Saudi Arabia), along with a pharmaceutical company in the United States. The research team has found a method to eliminate aging cells through antibody treatment. The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports on October 13.
Senescent cells represent an irreversible phenomenon that occurs when the natural process of cell division ceases in human tissues. This condition also leads to various related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Type II diabetes, and cancer.
Scientists have known that in a laboratory environment, removing senescent cells from tissues helps slow down age-related aging, thereby extending lifespan. However, this remains a theoretical concept. Bridging the gap between theory and practice has been a challenge that humanity has sought answers to for centuries.
Combating the aging process to keep humans youthful and extend lifespan has been a goal for many over the centuries. (Image: Freepik).
The team of experts from the four universities and the pharmaceutical company in the U.S. has discovered a new method to eliminate the accumulation of senescent cells. They utilize antibodies as a “smart bomb”, designed to identify and destroy oxidized cells.
This technology is based on a drug-antibody compound, which the authors have demonstrated to be particularly effective in eliminating aging cells.
Associate Professor Dr. Salvador Macip, Director of the Cancer Mechanisms and Aging Laboratory at the University of Leicester and a co-author, stated: “Senolytics are a new class of drugs with great potential to improve aging. What we have found previously often lacked specificity and had significant side effects. That is why we are very interested in the second generation of drugs – serum-degrading drugs – that target and eliminate aging cells without affecting the surrounding healthy cells.”
Inspired by cancer treatment therapies, the team modified a type of antibody so it could recognize aged cells. They then introduced a special toxin into the aging cells, destroying them from within.
However, this research has only succeeded at the laboratory level so far. The experts also shared their high hopes for this result and plan to conduct clinical trials on humans in the near future.
This is not the first time researchers have sought ways to achieve “rejuvenation” for humanity. In October 2020, a startup made headlines after receiving a $270 million investment from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. This company specializes in researching methods to reverse aging, promising to help people look younger than their actual age.
The pharmaceutical technology now relies on protein processing methods to revert cells in the body to a stem cell-like state, thereby preventing and reversing the aging process, helping individuals maintain their youthfulness and longevity. Moreover, some scientists hope this technology could eventually be expanded to revive entire animal bodies and ultimately help extend human lifespan.
Another company, founded by Google co-founder Larry Page in 2013, shares the same goal of finding ways to extend human lifespan. This company has also recruited many renowned scientists with generous salaries. However, there is limited information available regarding the progress of their research.
