Scientists discover mechanism to eliminate senescent senescent cell
Scientists from UC San Francisco have discovered how immune cells remove senescent (or dead) cells that cause aging and chronic diseases. Understanding this process could lead to new immunotherapies for age-related chronic disease.
In a healthy condition, these immune cells – known as invariant Natural Killer T cells (iNKT cells)– act as a surveillance mechanism, eliminating cells that the body perceives as foreign. This includes senescent, DNA-damaged cells. The iNKT cell activity decreases with age, and obesity is a factor that can contribute to chronic diseases.
This natural surveillance system can be stimulated in a way that is different from senolytic therapy, which has been used to remove senescent cell. This could be a great boon for a field which has struggled to find a way to administer these senolytics systemically without serious side effects.
Source:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-scientists-mechanism-senescent-cells.html
