Why these “Anti-Aging” Supplements may be Doing Damage

What You Need to Know

Author

My Longevity Experiment
November 04, 2024

Senescent Cells: The Double-Edged Sword in Aging and Healing

"Zombie cells," or senescent cells, have long been viewed as culprits in aging and age-related diseases. However, recent findings suggest these cells might also play a role in healing damaged tissues. The National Institute on Aging describes senescent cells as damaged or stressed cells that stop dividing but don’t die. They linger in the body, emitting signals that influence nearby cells, sometimes beneficially and sometimes detrimentally.

Immune System and Inflammation

Senescent cells release molecules that attract immune cells, triggering inflammation. While the immune system typically clears these cells, its efficiency wanes with age, leading to an accumulation of zombie cells. This buildup can promote chronic inflammation, which in turn accelerates conditions like cancer, Alzheimer's, and osteoarthritis.

Are Zombie Cells All Bad?

Not necessarily. A new study conducted on lab mice and human cells found that senescent cells might actually support tissue repair. Specifically, they appear to encourage stem cell growth, which aids in lung tissue repair after damage. Researchers observed that treating these cells with Dasatinib (a cancer drug) and Quercetin (a plant polyphenol), commonly explored as senolytic agents, hindered this repair process.

Tien Peng, MD, an associate professor of pulmonary, critical care, allergy, and sleep medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, noted, "We are not the first lab to implicate senescence as a wound-healing process." Previous research, such as a 2014 study published in Developmental Cell, demonstrated that senescent cells assist in skin wound healing. This raises questions about the unintended consequences of senolytic drugs, as they might disrupt beneficial functions of zombie cells.

Zombie Cells in Tissue Repair

In their study, researchers tagged the gene "P16," which is overactive in senescent cells, to glow in genetically modified mice. This helped track senescent cells, revealing their role in lung tissue repair across the lifespan. Fluorescent-tagged cells were found in the lungs, mainly within the basement membrane, a vital structure that blocks harmful substances while allowing oxygen into the bloodstream.

Following an injury, these p16-carrying cells release signals that prompt immune cells and fibroblasts to foster stem cell growth, aiding in tissue repair. When treated with Dasatinib and Quercetin, this signaling cascade was interrupted, halting stem cell growth. These findings suggest that while senolytics may help manage aging, they could potentially impede healing processes in humans.

Expert Opinion on Senolytics

Danny Roh, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of surgery at Boston University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, cautioned, "This combination treatment is currently in multiple clinical trials, and in general, scientists have been on the lookout for signs that senolytics disrupt healing; the new research suggests that this caution is warranted."

Conflicting Evidence in Healing Outcomes

While senolytics have shown potential to hinder lung and skin healing, research suggests they might expedite bone healing. Sundeep Khosla, MD, from Mayo Clinic’s Osteoporosis and Bone Biology Laboratory, explains that dosage frequency may be a key factor: "Possibly, in the lung and skin studies, researchers gave the senolytics every day, but in the bone studies, there were longer breaks between doses." He adds that carefully adjusted dosing might strike a balance between necessary inflammation for repair and the prevention of excessive damage.

FDA-Approved Senolytics and Their Availability

Senolytic drugs selectively target senescent cells, and some have been approved for specific uses. Key examples include:

  • Dasatinib, an FDA-approved leukemia treatment available in the U.S. and EU.

  • Quercetin, a plant-derived flavanol available in supplement form.

  • Navitoclax, an experimental anti-cancer drug.

  • Fisetin, a dietary flavonoid also available in supplements.

Preliminary trials indicate that senolytics can decrease senescent cell counts, reduce inflammation, and alleviate frailty. Currently, clinical trials are underway for various conditions, including diabetes, Alzheimer's, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis.

Where to Access Senolytic Supplements

Dasatinib and Navitoclax are prescription-only medications, but Quercetin and Fisetin are available as over-the-counter supplements. Reputable sources include Renue by Science and DoNotAge, which offer third party tested products and a 10% discount for customers who use the discount code: MYNMN at checkout.

Study Links:

https://bit.ly/3jptlqu