Against old age and coronavirus
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and their colleagues from the University of Minnesota have shown that COVID-19 enhances the damaging effects of cell aging processes in the body. In preclinical tests, senolytic drugs significantly reduced inflammation and mortality from COVID infection in old mice.
Aging cells (damaged or non-functioning cells that persist in the body), accumulating, lead to the development of age-related disorders and diseases, including inflammation and numerous chronic diseases. The researchers sought to find out why mortality from COVID-19 is much higher among elderly and chronically ill people. They showed that aging human cells react more strongly to the coronavirus spike protein, increasing the production of factors that cause age-related inflammation and tissue damage.
The researchers also found that old mice infected with viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, showed an enhanced response with an increase in the number and activity of aging cells, inflammation and almost 100% mortality. Treatment of these mice with senolytics before or after infection completely changed the picture. Senolytic drugs selectively remove aging cells from the body. The level of antiviral antibodies in mice increased, while the signs of inflammation and cell aging, as well as mortality, decreased significantly, so the survival rate of old infected mice tended to the survival rate of young individuals.
The researchers suggest that the results are applicable to humans: reducing the number of aging cells in elderly or chronically ill patients can increase their resistance and reduce the risk of their death from viral infections, including from SARS-CoV-2. Currently, three clinical studies are being conducted in this area.
Vaccination is the only way to protect against the disease, however, senolytics can be useful for those who cannot get the vaccine, especially elderly people in nursing homes with concomitant chronic diseases or weakened immunity. Senolytics may also be able to improve the response of older people to vaccines and help them fight bacterial and other viral infections.
Article by C.D.Camell et al. Senolytics reduce coronavirus-related mortality in old mice is published in the journal Science.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru according to the materials Press-News.org : Senolytics reduce COVID-19 symptoms in preclinical studies.