Translation exclusive: Mayo Clinic researchers said that antiaging drugs can boost a key protein in the body that may protect older adults from aspects of aging and a range of diseases.
The results led to the development of the drug Sinolitics at the Mayo Clinic, and it was given once to purify the bloodstream from senescent or “zombie” cells, according to Brighter. These cells contribute to many diseases and negative aspects of aging, and this study also showed that removing senescent cells significantly enhances production of a protective protein called a-klotho.
The zombie cells that “refuse to die” go to work to support the body, and they may experience some kind of stress – whether it’s due to oxidative stress, a viral infection, or some other factor. This pressure causes the cell to do one of three things; “We show that there is a way for an orally active small-molecule approach to increase this beneficial protein and also to amplify the effect of aging drugs,” says James Kirkland, MD.
The researchers first showed that senescent cells reduce levels of a-klotho in three types of human cells: umbilical vein endothelial cells, kidney cells and brain cells.