Rationale and Design of STAMINA: Senolytics To Alleviate Mobility Issues and Neurological Impairments in Aging, A...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Cellular Biology

Background:

• Cellular senescence is linked to age-related mobility and cognitive decline, preceding Alzheimer's disease.
• Senolytic compounds offer a potential strategy to target senescent cells and improve function.
• Clinical evidence for senolytics in this context is currently limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the rationale and study design of a pilot clinical trial.
• To evaluate the feasibility and safety of intermittent Dasatinib and quercetin (DQ) administration.
• To assess preliminary efficacy of DQ on mobility, cognition, and senescence biomarkers.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week, single-arm, open-label, pre-post pilot study.
• 12 older adults (≥65 years) with slow gait speed and mild cognitive impairment received DQ.
• Intermittent DQ dosing (2 days every 2 weeks) with physical, cognitive, and biomarker assessments.

Main Results:

• Primary outcomes focus on feasibility and safety of the DQ intervention.
• Secondary outcomes include preliminary efficacy on gait speed, cognitive function, and biomarkers.
• Cerebral blood flow velocity is also assessed as a key clinical outcome.

Conclusions:

• This study design aims to provide initial data on DQ's potential for improving age-related functional decline.
• Results may support a novel approach to prevent Alzheimer's disease progression.
• Further research is warranted based on feasibility, safety, and efficacy findings.