The Secret “Zombie Cell” Killers: Niche Senolytic Drugs Fighting Aging’s Clock
For centuries, people have searched for a fountain of youth. Today, scientists are zeroing in on an intriguing strategy – senolytic drugs – that might help turn back the biological clock. These compounds target the so-called “zombie cells” in our bodies, officially known as senescent cells, which stop dividing but refuse to die nature.com. As we age, these senescent cells accumulate and spew out harmful signals that drive inflammation, tissue damage, and aging itself nature.com. Senolytics are designed to selectively destroy these damaged cells, potentially slowing aging and alleviating many age-related conditions with a single treatment. Researchers discovered the first senolytic breakthrough in 2015, when a Mayo Clinic and Scripps Research team found that a combination of two compounds –