In a possible first, researchers at Stanford (Calif.) Medicine found a non-invasive imaging method to visualize senescent cells.
“As we age, we accumulate senescent cells. These are like ‘zombie cells’ — they’re not dead, they’re alive, but they’re not growing and dividing like other cells,” lead author Vidyani Suryadevara, PhD, an instructor in radiology at Stanford Medicine, said in a May 5 system news release. “There are several new senolytic therapies that are in the works, but for us to monitor how effective and efficient those treatments are, we need imaging tools.”
Senescent cells can accelerate or trigger osteoarthritis. A new class of treatments called senolytic therapies have emerged to target these cells. Currently, some senolytic therapies have been approved by the FDA for cancer and other conditions. However, it’s been difficult for scientists to visualize “zombie cells.”
But Stanford’s new MRI contrast agent can help identify these dormant cells, which can help identify patients eligible for senolytic therapies and track the treatments’ progress in the body. The agent is currently being tested on arthritis, but could be used for other diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s and metabolic disorders.
The results were published in npj Imaging.
