Senescent cells (blue) accumulate with age. CAR T cells can be programmed to seek out and destroy them. The image above shows healthy pancreatic tissue samples from an old mouse treated with CAR T cells as a young puppy. Credit: Amor Vegas Laboratory/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
The fountain of youth has eluded explorers for ages. It turns out the magic anti-aging elixir may have been in us all along.
Assistant Professor Corina Amor Vegas of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and her colleagues discovered that T cells can be reprogrammed to fight aging, so to speak. With the right set of genetic changes, these white blood cells can attack another group of cells called senescent cells. These cells are thought to be responsible for many diseases we face later in life.
Senescent cells are those that stop replicating. As we age, they build up in our bodies, leading to harmful inflammation. Although there are currently several medications that can eliminate these cells, many of them must be taken repeatedly over time.
As an alternative, Amor Vegas and colleagues turned to a “live” drug called CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cells. They discovered that CAR T cells could be manipulated to eliminate senescent cells in mice. As a result, the mice ended up leading healthier lives. They had lower body weight, improved metabolism and glucose tolerance, and increased physical activity. All the benefits came without any tissue damage or toxicity.
Young mice treated with CAR T cells age more slowly and are protected against natural diseases associated with aging such as obesity and diabetes. The drawing above shows a young mouse, treated with CAR T cells, that was fed a high-fat diet for two months. The graphs show that compared to untreated mice on the same diet, the treated mouse had a lower body weight. Credit: Amor Vegas Laboratory/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
“If we give it to old mice, they become younger. If we give it to young mice, they age more slowly. No other therapy can currently do this,” explains Amor Vegas.
Perhaps the greatest power of CAR T cells is their longevity. The team found that a single dose at a young age can have lifelong effects. This unique treatment may protect against conditions that commonly occur later in life, such as obesity and diabetes.
“T cells have the ability to develop memory and persist in your body for very long periods of time, which is very different from a chemical drug,” explains Amor Vegas. “With CAR T cells, you have the ability to get this one treatment, and that’s it. For chronic conditions, that’s a huge advantage. Think about patients who need treatment multiple times a year. day compared to those who receive an infusion, and then you “I’m willing to continue for several years. »
CAR T cells have been used to treat various blood cancers and received FDA approval for this purpose in 2017. But Amor Vegas is one of the first scientists to show that the medical potential of CAR T cells will further further than cancer.
Amor Vegas’ lab is currently studying whether CAR T cells allow mice to not only live healthier, but also longer lives. If so, the company will be one step closer to the coveted fountain of youth.
More information:
Natural aging (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00560-5
Provided by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Quote: With modification, CAR T cells can attack senescent cells, leading to slower aging in mice (January 24, 2024) retrieved January 24, 2024 from
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