Current Research About Senotherapeutics

In the previous chapter, it was proposed that when the quantity of senescent cells exceeds a safe therapeutic threshold, the prospect of age-associated diseases increases. The goal of senolytics is to destroy senescent cells so that their volume remains below this threshold. However, below this threshold, senescent cells provide safe transitory levels of senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASPs), which assist with wound healing and tumor suppression. Senomorphics, on the other hand, can prevent senescent cells from making other cells senescent via constant exposure to SASPs. A review of the literature about senotherapeutics revealed a diverse range of senolytic and senomorphic candidates. It is beyond the scope of this book to examine the literature about the merits of each candidate. Thus, the literature about the senolytic potential of dasatinib and quercetin (D + Q) and the senomorphic potential of metformin and rapamycin are reviewed. Despite the potential of senotherapy to extend both human lifespan and healthspan, there remains many opportunities to explore this emerging field of medicine. To emphasize this point, this chapter concludes with a series of research topics and questions about senotherapeutics that remain to be investigated in the future.