Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 16 May 2019
‘Zombie cells’ buildup in your body may play role in aging

played no role in the study.
The field of zombie cells is
still young. But Kirkland es-
timates at least a dozen
companies have formed
or have launched efforts
to pursue treatments. He
holds shares in one.
Apart from age-related dis-
eases, anti-zombie drugs
might be useful for treating
premature aging among
cancer survivors that brings
on the early appearance
of some diseases, said Lau-
ra Niedernhofer of the Uni-
versity of Minnesota.
Some of these drugs have
been approved for other
uses or are even sold as
supplements. But Niedern-
hofer and Kirkland stress
that people should not
try them on their own, nor
should doctors prescribe
them, for the uses now un-
der study because more
research has to be done
first. Niedernhofer said the
best drugs may be yet to
come. The goal is not to
prevent stressed cells from
turning into zombies, she
This April 2019 microscope photo provided by the Niedernhofer Lab of the Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism at the said, because they may
University of Minnesota shows shows two senescent human fibroblast cells, above, next to normal ones in Minneapolis, Minn. become cancerous in-
Associated Press stead. The aim is to trigger
death of cells that have
By MALCOLM RITTER ester, Minnesota. That’s bie cells release chemicals act older: their maximum already transformed, or to
AP Science Writer in contrast to playing a that can harm nearby nor- walking speed slowed limit the harm they do.
NEW YORK (AP) — Call “whack-a-mole game” of mal cells. That’s where the down, and their muscle And what about giving
them zombie cells — they treating one disease only trouble starts. strength and endurance them to healthy people
refuse to die. to see another spring up, What kind of trouble? In decreased. Tests showed who want to ward off ag-
As they build up in your he said. mouse studies, drugs that the implanted cells con- ing? That’s possible but a
body, studies suggest, The research has been eliminate zombie cells — verted other cells to zom- long way off, after studies
they promote aging and done chiefly in mice. Ear- so-called senolytics — have bie status. have established that the
the conditions that come lier this year, the first test in been shown to improve an Kirkland and colleagues drugs are safe enough, she
with it like osteoporosis people was published and impressive list of conditions, this year published the said.
and Alzheimer’s disease. provided some tantalizing such as cataracts, diabe- first study of a zombie-cell “We may not get there,”
Researchers are studying results. tes, osteoporosis, Alzheim- treatment in people. It in- Kirkland said.
drugs that can kill zombie Zombie cells are actu- er’s disease, enlargement volved 14 patients with id- In any case, experts are im-
cells and possibly treat the ally called senescent cells. of the heart, kidney prob- iopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pressed by the research so
problems they bring. They start out normal but lems, clogged arteries and a generally fatal disease far.
Basically the goal is to fight then encounter a stress, like age-related loss of muscle. that scars the lining of the “I think this is very exciting,”
aging itself, which hopeful- damage to their DNA or vi- Mouse studies have also lungs. Risk rises with age, said Dr. George Kuchel
ly will in turn delay the ap- ral infection. At that point, shown a more direct tie and the lungs of patients of the University of Con-
pearance of age-related a cell can choose to die between zombie cells and show evidence of zombie necticut Center on Aging
disease and disabilities as a or become a zombie, ba- aging. When drugs target- cells. in Farmington. The results
group, says geriatrics spe- sically entering a state of ing those cells were given In the preliminary experi- from animal studies are
cialist Dr. James Kirkland of suspended animation. to aged mice, the animals ment, after three weeks “very spectacular. It’s very
the Mayo Clinic in Roch- The problem is that zom- showed better walking of treatment, patients im- compelling data.”
speed, grip strength and proved on some measures Nir Barzilai, a researcher of
endurance on a treadmill. of physical fitness, like walk- aging at the Albert Einstein
Even when the treatment ing speed. Other measures College of Medicine in
was applied to very old did not show improvement. New York, said he believes
mice, the equivalent of Overall, the results are en- targeting zombie cells will
people ages 75 to 90, it ex- couraging and “it really play a role in the overall
tended lifespan by an av- raises enthusiasm to pro- effort to delay, stop and
erage of 36 percent. ceed with the more rigor- maybe reverse aging.
Researchers have also ous studies,” said Dr. Greg- So much research suggests
shown that transplanting ory Cosgrove, chief medi- they promote aging that
zombie cells into young cal officer of the Pulmonary “we know that it should be
mice basically made them Fibrosis Foundation, who true,” he said.q