Next Level Longevity: Combatting Zombie Cells
New research in Senolytics may give us the power to slay the undead
One of my favorite parts of this grand Ageosophy adventure is exploring fascinating paths and making new discoveries. If I had embarked on this journey a decade or so earlier, I might have taken actual courses in this emerging field. Who knows, there may yet be an opportunity in the future to collaborate with the experts! Until then, I am both a little bit Indiana Jones… and a little bit Camy-the-Zombie-Slayer.
You may remember my penchant for going upstream to seek out the root cause of problematic issues, and the more I learn, the more I’m convinced this approach also holds true in the quest to age well. The real movers and shakers in these arenas are likewise searching for the Holy Grail—the real, underlying reason we age –and their focus is settling on the cellular and molecular levels of our being. This is where significant future advancements will occur in stemming the tides of time and achieving optimal health.
What are zombie cells?
The good news is that the future is rapidly materializing for one of the core cellular offenders: zombie cells—or, as they are technically known, senescent cells. You may have seen this sinister name in a passing headline, or this term may be entirely new to you. Either way, we all should get to know this emerging science because it will significantly impact our lives.
The simplest explanation comes from the nickname “zombie”: these are cells that have essentially gone dormant but refuse to die and leave the body. Our cells are in a constant state of either dying or multiplying. I remember when our son was a toddler, it was almost magical how quickly he healed from bumps and scrapes. The cellular function cycle of damaged cells replaced by new cells worked at lightning speed.
As we age, however, our cells become less efficient at multiplication, and our bodies become less efficient at clearing out the dead and damaged cells. Caught in that stagnant hinterland are senescent cells.
What's so bad about zombie cells?
The role of senescent cells throughout our lives has both good and bad aspects. Senescent cells secrete molecules and compounds that can aid in the embryonic and childbirth stages and enhance wound healing. That’s the good news.
The not-so-good news is that these zombie cells increase with age. Because they don’t die off when they should, they don’t go through the body’s natural clearing process and continue releasing compounds. These once-beneficial compounds build up and can trigger inflammation, eventually damaging neighboring cells.
Basically, all these stubborn senescent cells are accumulating and wreaking havoc in the body, much like rotten apples that spoil the bushel… or hordes of zombies that multiply as they find new victims.
What happens to the neighboring healthy cells?
Essentially, the healthy cells next to senescent cells become damaged, which can lead first to inflammation and then to a whole slew of different illnesses and diseases, ultimately compromising our immunity. For instance, as we age, our immune system functions less efficiently, and the acculturation of these languishing cells can affect both our ability to withstand stresses, illness, and injuries and our ability to recover.
Cellular senescence has been connected to impaired cognitive functions, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias, as well as to other age-related conditions such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even declines in eyesight and mobility. Senescence cells are also present in the skin, and many experts are beginning to accept the notion that they contribute to the dreaded sagging and wrinkling.
Senescent cells can impact our entire system: a true zombie apocalypse!
What to do?
Senescence science is considered a “young science” that wasn’t on too many scientists’ radars before 20 years ago, but that’s changing. Brilliant researchers in the longevity field are looking deeper at how to attenuate senescent cells to slow down or partially reverse the aging process, thereby mitigating or eliminating the accompanying health issues.
Two such pioneering scientists, Jim Kirkland, M.D., Ph.D. and Jan van Deursen, had been developing a “synolytic” that clears the cells. They hit upon a combination of two drugs— dasatinib (D, a leukemia chemotherapy) and quercetin (Q, a pigment found in fruits and vegetables with anti-inflammatory properties). D&Q has shown promising results in two small clinical trials, one clearing senescent cells in diabetic kidney patients and the other improving physical function in patients fighting a debilitating lung disease. Although both were testing on small cohorts, the results were promising enough to warrant further research.
Now, the floodgates have opened, and senescence research abounds across multiple institutions. Even though it’s in the early stages, it’s just a matter of time before more solutions to these zombie cells emerge… making it likely that new weapons in the wellness and longevity arsenal will be in our future.
Skincare is leading the way (yay!)
Interestingly, I first heard about senescent cells through OneSkin, a skincare company I have used for about a year. (I have no affiliation; I just love the product and brand/packaging design.)
Founded by four women Ph.D.s, their proprietary peptide—OS-01—boosts damage repair in senescent cells, preventing them from secreting the pro-aging molecules. This not only starts to repair the cells, but more importantly, it prevents healthy cells from becoming damaged.
OneSkin believes this reduces skin’s biological age at a cellular level. Their data and science are very compelling for truly youthful skin. I believe they have created the next level of skincare.
Healthy cells, long life
Senolytics may hold the keys to eradicating disease and reversing aging in the not-so-distant future. Until then, we can still arm ourselves with powerful zombie-killing weapons: our diet and lifestyle choices give us great power to affect healthy cells and sound metabolic health. Just in case you didn’t catch past articles, or you want to keep adding to your stockpile, the posts below are a good start to live well, age great.
Next Level Longevity: Turn Your Genes On
Metabolic Health: What Is it and Why Should You Care?