Longevity researcher Paul Robbins has been taking fisetin, a chemical compound found in strawberries, to help boost his immunity and reduce inflammation. Fisetin is a "senolytic" that targets and clears out "zombie" cells that build up in the body as people age. While there is no evidence in humans that fisetin has any benefit, Robbins is working to develop fisetin-based drugs that may work to clear these zombie cells from the body. However, experts caution against taking fisetin supplements until more research is done on its proper dosage and potential harms.
Tech executives like Sam Altman are taking prescription pills like metformin and rapamycin to slow aging by taming "zombie cells" that can contribute to age-related diseases. Researchers are also working on repurposing existing drugs into new drug combinations called "senolytics" to flush some zombie cells out of the body. However, these drugs need more testing before they can be considered safe for everyone, and lifestyle interventions like exercise and dieting can also reduce senescent cell burden.
Researchers from Integrated Biosciences have used artificial intelligence to identify three senolytic compounds that selectively kill aging-associated senescent cells, which have been implicated in a broad spectrum of age-related diseases and conditions including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease. The compounds discovered display high selectivity and favorable medicinal chemistry properties, making them more likely to succeed in clinical trials and eventually help restore health to aging individuals.
Researchers have developed a deep neural network-based approach to identify small-molecule senolytics, drugs that selectively eliminate senescent cells, which contribute to aging and age-related diseases. The approach was able to identify several new senolytic compounds, which were validated in vitro and in vivo. The study demonstrates the potential of machine learning in drug discovery for aging and age-related diseases.
Pills that can help reverse the effects of aging could be on the market within five years, according to Andrew Steele, author of 'Ageless: The new science of getting older without getting old'. Steele points to existing medications, such as the diabetes tablet metformin, that could be retooled as anti-aging treatments in the 'very, very near term'. Steele believes that treatments we are likely to see in the near term will extend 'healthspan' by dealing with age-related diseases, delaying the onset of problems such as dementia.
