⏱ 3 min read
Senolytics are compounds that aim to selectively eliminate senescent cells: cells that have stopped dividing but do not die and accumulate with age, secreting inflammatory signals (the so-called SASP) that damage neighboring tissues. The idea, still experimental in humans, is to "clear out" these zombie cells to slow processes associated with aging and several chronic diseases.
The most studied are the combination of dasatinib + quercetin (D+Q) —an anti-leukemia drug together with a flavonoid— and fisetin, another flavonoid found in strawberries and other vegetables. Their main mechanism is to push senescent cells toward apoptosis (programmed cell death), to which these cells are especially vulnerable. In animal models they have shown improvements in physical function, fibrosis, and inflammation markers; in people the evidence is still preliminary, with small trials under way.
Great caution is warranted: dasatinib is a prescription drug with real adverse effects and should not be used on your own; the doses, the schedules (usually intermittent), and the long-term safety of senolytic protocols have not been established. Quercetin and fisetin, as supplements, have a better safety profile, but their real senolytic efficacy in humans remains to be confirmed.
Educational information, not medical advice. Senolytic use is experimental; dasatinib requires a prescription and medical supervision.
Information, not medical advice.