Bioinformatics procedure for investigating senolytic (anti-aging) agents: A digital signal processing technique

Norbert Nwankwo1, Ignatius Okafor2

  • 1University of Port Harcourt Port Harcourt Rivers State Nigeria.

PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Senescent cells accelerate aging. CR3-based peptides, like ES2, are potent senolytics that disrupt aging interactions. A digital signal processing method analyzes senolytic effectiveness for anti-aging therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology and molecular biology.
  • Cellular senescence and aging mechanisms.
  • Development of therapeutic interventions for aging.

Background:

  • Cellular senescence, characterized by irreversible growth arrest and resistance to apoptosis, contributes to aging and age-related diseases.
  • Senescence arises from specific molecular interactions, including those involving forkhead (FHD) and transactivation (TAD) domains, and C-terminal region 3 (CR3) with DNA binding (DBD).
  • Senolytics and senomorphics are therapeutic strategies aimed at eliminating or mitigating the effects of senescent cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically analyze intermolecular interactions between senolytics and their molecular targets using a digital signal processing (DSP) approach.
  • To evaluate the senolytic (anti-aging) potential of CR3- and FOXO4-based peptides by assessing their ability to disrupt senescence-associated molecular interactions.
  • To identify the most effective senolytic candidates for future therapeutic development.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a computerized procedure based on digital signal processing (DSP) and the Informational Spectrum Method (ISM).
  • Obtained peptide sequences targeting CR3 and FOXO4 (forkhead box protein O4) interacting proteins.
  • Assessed the disruption of interactions between FOXO4 and DRI, and CR3 and BDB (DNA binding domain) by these peptides.

Main Results:

  • Peptides exhibited varying senolytic activities based on their binding affinity to CR3/BDB or FOXO4/DRI.
  • Enhanced senescence 2 (ES2), a CR3-based peptide, demonstrated higher affinity for CR3/BDB compared to FOXO4/DRI, indicating CR3/BDB interaction is crucial for aging.
  • ES2 proved to be a more potent senolytic than DRI, showing 3-7 times greater effectiveness and a weaker interaction with FOXO4, highlighting CR3-based peptides as superior senolytic candidates.

Conclusions:

  • CR3-based peptides, particularly ES2, show significant promise as senolytic agents for combating aging and age-related diseases.
  • The novel DSP-based technique offers a rational and efficient method for analyzing and optimizing senolytic drug candidates.
  • This approach advances gerontology by providing tools to develop interventions that may delay or reverse aging, complementing other therapeutic strategies.

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