For generations, adventurers have been unable to find the spring of youth. It appears that the secret anti-ageing potion may have been within us the entire time.
Assistant Professor Corina Amor Vegas of Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory (CSHL) and her colleagues have found that T cells may be altered to fight ageing. These white blood cells can target senescent cells, a different class of cells, provided they get the appropriate genetic alterations. Numerous disorders that we face as we age are believed to be caused by these cells.
Cells that cease to divide are known as senescent cells. They accumulate in our bodies as we become older, causing dangerous inflammation. These cells can presently be eradicated by many medications, although many of them need to be taken frequently over time.
Alternatively, Amor Vegas and associates utilised a “living” medication known as CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T lymphocytes. They found that senescent cells may be eradicated from mice by manipulating CAR T cells. The mice ended up having healthier lives as a consequence. They were more physically active, had better metabolisms and glucose tolerance, and weighed less overall. Benefits were all obtained without causing toxicity or tissue harm.
If we give it to aged mice, they rejuvenate. If we give it to young mice, they age slower. No other therapy right now can do this.
Amor Vegas
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The lifetime of CAR T cells may be their greatest strength. One dosage given at a young age can have long-lasting consequences, the study discovered. That one medication can guard against diseases like diabetes and obesity that often manifest later in life.
T cells have the ability to develop memory and persist in your body for really long periods, which is very different from a chemical drug. With CAR T cells, you have the potential of getting this one treatment, and then that’s it. For chronic pathologies, that’s a huge advantage. Think about patients who need treatment multiple times per day versus you get an infusion, and then you’re good to go for multiple years.
Amor Vegas
The FDA approved the use of CAR T cells for the treatment of several blood malignancies in 2017. However, Amor Vegas is among the first experts to demonstrate that the therapeutic potential of CAR T cells extends beyond cancer.
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Currently, Amor Vegas’ group is examining if CAR T cells extend the healthy lifespan of mice. If this is the case, civilization will get a little bit closer to the fabled fountain of youth.
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Newsstand
Journal Reference: Amor, Corina, et al. “Prophylactic and Long-lasting Efficacy of Senolytic CAR T Cells against Age-related Metabolic Dysfunction.” Nature Aging, 2024, pp. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00560-5.
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