Endothelial Senescent-Cell-Specific Clearance Alleviates Metabolic Dysfunction In Obese Mice
Our bodies are constantly renewing themselves, but sometimes cells get old and stop dividing without dying off. These “senescent” cells can accumulate and contribute to various health problems, including issues with how our bodies process energy, known as metabolic dysfunction. While we’ve known that clearing senescent cells can help with obesity-related metabolic problems, the specific types of senescent cells involved haven’t always been clear.
This new research focused on senescent cells found in the lining of blood vessels, called endothelial cells. Scientists discovered that these particular aged cells play a crucial role in the development of metabolic issues in obesity. When these senescent endothelial cells were selectively removed from obese mice, the animals showed remarkable improvements. They experienced reduced inflammation, a decrease in fat mass, and better regulation of their blood sugar levels.
To further confirm this link, researchers also performed an experiment where they transplanted senescent endothelial cells into lean, healthy mice. This led to inflammation in the fat tissue and the development of metabolic dysfunction in these previously healthy animals, suggesting that these aged blood vessel cells actively contribute to the problem by releasing inflammatory molecules. The study also explored the use of a natural compound called fisetin, which was found to reduce the number of senescent blood vessel cells and improve diabetic symptoms in mice, and even in human tissue samples. These findings suggest that targeting and clearing these specific aged cells in blood vessels could be a promising new strategy for treating metabolic diseases like diabetes.
Source: link to paper