Over time, the body’s cells stop working properly and start to build up, which eventually results in tissues aging. Researchers on the UOC collaborating with the University of Leicester (United Kingdom) have discovered a recent molecule that’s capable of destroy these old cells without affecting the healthy ones. This paves the solution to having the ability to delay the aging of the body’s tissues and eventually, to improving quality of life and life expectancy in human beings. For now, the outcomes, which have been published in open-access format within the journal Aging, have been obtained in cells in vitro, and testing with animal models will now begin.
During an individual’s life, cells undergo various varieties of stress, reminiscent of solar radiation, which results in them accumulating mutations. The body prompts defense mechanisms at a certain point with a view to prevent a tumor from developing: either the cell ‘commits suicide’, in a process often called apoptosis, or it becomes senescent, which is a form of ‘zombie’ state between life and death, through which it not functions despite still being alive, and it also begins to fabricate products that replicate the zombie state in the opposite healthy cells around it. While the organism is young, the immune system can eliminate these cells and clean up the tissues.
Nevertheless, as people grow old, the immune system stops performing this maintenance; the the explanation why this happens are unknown. Which means that these zombie cells begin to build up in our tissues, impairing how they work, and resulting in aging.
Studies in animals have shown that with the administration of medication called senolytics, that are capable of eliminate these old cells, it is feasible to enhance the life expectancy and quality of lifetime of animals.
The researchers, led by Professor Salvador Macip, dean of the UOC’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Molecular Medicine on the University of Leicester, have identified a molecule called CUDC-907 that destroys old cells quite efficiently and specifically, with few uncomfortable side effects on healthy cells.
The drug we identified is a robust destroyer of old cells and its effect against some cancers can also be now being investigated, so it could have a double effect: anti-cancer and at the identical time, it could act against old cells that make the cancer reappear.”
Professor Salvador Macip, Dean of the UOC’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Molecular Medicine on the University of Leicester
In cancer, this drug, which acts by inhibiting two cell communication pathways – one in all which was hitherto unknown and has been discovered by Macip’s team – was being investigated with a view to eliminate the cells which are extensively damaged by chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment but which don’t die, and as an alternative turn into senescent, which can result in a tumor appearing again. “This drug might be administered with chemotherapy or radiotherapy to destroy these zombie cells and by doing so, considerably reduce cancer relapses,” said Macip.
On this study, the researchers used different models of human cancer cells, and located that dual inhibitor CUDC-907 eliminates a particular sort of senescent cell with limited uncomfortable side effects. They’ll now begin tests with animal models, and in the event that they obtain good results, they are going to then test it with humans. The researchers imagine that the drug may be applied in diseases where the buildup of senescent cells plays a task, reminiscent of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Perhaps an intensive dose of the drug would clean the brain and stop the disease from progressing. It may be useful in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, to slow its progress, reasonably than the aging itself,” said Macip.
Source:
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Journal reference:
Al-Mansour, F., et al. (2023). Characterization of the HDAC/PI3K inhibitor CUDC-907 as a novel senolytic. Aging. doi.org/10.18632/aging.204616.