BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Pulmonary

March 15, 2017 12:56 PM UTC

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest promoting senescent cell clearance could help treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In lung samples from patients, levels of the cellular senescence marker CDKN2A were higher than in samples from healthy volunteers, and the high levels of CDKN2A correlated with disease severity in the patients. In a mouse model of IPF, a tool compound that induces apoptosis in CDKN2A-positive cells, or the combination of the Src inhibitor Sprycel dasatinib plus a senolytic tool compound decreased CDKN2A levels in the lungs, airway resistance and weight loss and increased lung function and exercise capacity compared with vehicle. Next steps could include identifying and testing promoters of senescent cell clearance in the model...