Peptide clears senescent cells, revitalizes aging mice

Abstract

As we age, our cells increasingly become senescent: Instead of dying, these decrepit cells stop dividing and begin secreting a cocktail of molecules that can cause problems for other cells. Scientists have long been searching for chemical treatments that can clear away the problematic cells. Now, a team of researchers led by Peter L. J. de Keizer at Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam are reporting that a cell-penetrating peptide they prepared can make senescent cells in mice suicidal, allowing the animals to remove them naturally. The peptide is a shortened form of a protein called FOXO4. In senescent cells, FOXO4 binds another protein, called p53. This interaction prevents cell death. When delivered to mice, the team found that the peptide disrupts the normal FOXO4-p53 interaction and the cells are directed to die (Cell 2017, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.02.031). The researchers tested the treatment on elderly mice and found that these animals had