A study published in Nature showed that removing senescent cells in mice can delay aging and make them healthier.
A team led by Dr. Kirkland of Mayo Clinic conducted this research. They first transplanted 500,000 Methocera cells (a super-old cell produced by drugs or radiation) into young (6 months) or middle-aged (17 months) mice a few months ago.
These cells will age the mouse in the next two weeks. The transplanted senescent cells can only survive for a few days, but it is enough to age the mice for more than 2 months. These senescent cells not only produce toxins and kill immune cells, but they can also spread around young cells and affect their metabolism. Next, we injected the two compounds into young mice transplanted with senescent cells and normal senescent mice. One is an anti-leukemia drug, and the other is a plant compound found in many vegetables and fruits. It has been found that these two compounds can kill the transplanted senescent cells of many young mice, thereby preventing them from aging. In addition, the physical condition of normally aging mice is improved, and there are no health problems related to aging. These results indicate that removing senescent cells may delay aging, but this research is still in clinical trials and it is too early to be beneficial to humans.