Edaravone dexborneol alleviates neuronal senescence injury by mitigating the innate immune response

Aging is a key risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, contributing to progressive neuronal damage and closely linked to the onset and progression of conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. However, the effect of edaravone dexborneol (EDB) on neuronal senescence remains unclear, which is an urgent scientific question to be addressed. In this study, we established models of neuronal senescence induced by oxidative stress and OGD/R. EDB treatment partially restored the proliferation inhibition of senescent cells. EDB treatment significantly decreased senescence markers, as indicated by reduced senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining and lower p16 and p21 protein expression. Subsequent research demonstrated that EDB improved mitochondrial membrane potential and replenished intracellular ATP levels. In the OGD/R-induced neuronal injury model, EDB treatment notably decreased the expression of senescence markers (p16/p21/p53). Mechanistic studies revealed that EDB not only alleviated oxidative stress but also inhibited the cGAS-STING-mediated innate immune signaling pathway. This study is the first to demonstrate that EDB mitigates mitochondrial damage to exert anti-neuronal senescence effects, offering a novel intervention strategy for aging-related neurodegenerative diseases.