Deep Dive #6: Longevity Therapeutics
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Overview
Longevity and aging research has long been a topic of research interest, but until recently has failed to demonstrate meaningful advances. Only recently have researchers approached aging with a genuine scientific and evidence based approach. The National Institutes of Aging was founded in 1974, and since then, scientists have characterized a variety of ways to increase lifespan and health span in mice and a variety of other small model organisms. The industry however has been plagued by bad science and regulatory pushback. Hope driven consumerism has led to the development of an array of supplements, treatments, and nutritional plans that are ‘anti-aging’. None have been backed by a regulatory agency or have any confirmed utility.
Currently, there are a wide array of promising human clinical trials ongoing for aging interventions. On the senolytics end, Unity Biotech has a Phase II compound for osteoarthritis. There is also currently a combination study of two widely studied and cheap senolytics dasatinib and quercetin (D+Q) for tolerability and senescent cell removal that should report clinical results in the next year. Initial results for this trial were favorable, demonstrating that D+Q were indeed able to eliminate senescent cells. The significant question to answer will be whether the elimination of senescent cells has any QOL or health span benefit, and also to characterize the side effects of senescent cell elimination.