Senotherapeutics: Milestones, innovations, and future prospects

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Gerontology
• Geropharmacology

Background:

• Gerontological practice has evolved, leading to specialized fields like biomedical gerontology.
• Geropharmacology emerged as a distinct subfield focusing on pharmaceutical interventions in the elderly.
• The growing elderly population and their complex health needs underscore the importance of geropharmacology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the evolving field of geropharmacology and its significance in managing the health of older adults.
• To review current research on conventional pharmacologic agents and novel gerotherapeutics.
• To discuss the potential and limitations of senotherapeutic drug discovery in geriatric practice.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on geropharmacology and gerotherapeutics.
• Investigation of conventional pharmacologic agents (e.g., quercetin, rapamycin, metformin) in the elderly.
• Exploration of AI-assisted senotherapeutic drug discovery and its challenges.

Main Results:

• Geropharmacology addresses altered pharmacokinetics and comorbidities in the elderly.
• Research includes evaluating existing drugs and developing new gerotherapeutics.
• Senotherapeutic approaches show promise but face clinical limitations due to nonspecific action and heterogeneous cell phenotypes.

Conclusions:

• Geropharmacology is crucial for optimizing medication use in the aging population.
• Senotherapeutics offer potential for aging-related diseases but require careful clinical consideration.
• Understanding senescence as a lifespan process, not just aging, is key for therapeutic development.