Could removing damaged cells help us age better and reduce the risk of age-related diseases? In this episode, Ben Hopkins sits down with researcher **Juliette Taverner** to explore the science of cellular senescence, senolytics, and the potential of compounds like fisetin in the field of longevity research.
As we age, some damaged cells stop dividing but remain active, releasing inflammatory signals that can affect surrounding tissues. These are known as *senescent cells*, sometimes nicknamed โzombie cellsโ. Scientists are investigating whether senolytics, compounds designed to selectively eliminate these cells, could help reduce their harmful effects and improve health as we age.
๐งฌ What You'll Learn
**Cellular senescence:** What happens when damaged cells stop dividing but continue to release inflammatory signals.
**Senolytics vs. senomorphics:** How these two approaches differ in targeting senescent cells and their effects.
**Fisetin and longevity:** Why this plant-derived compound has attracted interest in ageing research, and what we still don't know about its effects in humans.
**Clinical trials:** How researchers are investigating fisetin in older adults and exploring different treatment approaches.
**Measuring biological ageing:** Why identifying and quantifying senescent cells in living humans remains a major scientific challenge.
**SUPAR as a biomarker:** How this blood-based marker may help researchers investigate chronic inflammation and biological ageing.
**Immune system decline:** How immunosenescence may contribute to the accumulation of senescent cells as we age.
**Safety and supplementation:** Potential risks, drug interactions, bioavailability challenges and why high-dose fisetin should not be assumed to be safe or effective.
โฑ๏ธ Chapters
00:00 โ Introduction to Juliette Taverner
00:26 โ What is cellular senescence?
03:58 โ Fisetin and the science of senolytics
04:16 โ How fisetin works
05:54 โ Why senolytics may be taken intermittently
06:29 โ Inside the fisetin clinical trials
08:08 โ How do researchers measure senescence?
09:41 โ SUPAR: A potential biomarker of biological ageing
11:39 โ Understanding fisetin dosing
12:18 โ What do we know from current research?
14:27 โ Can diet provide enough fisetin?
15:10 โ Should you take fisetin supplements?
16:17 โ Fisetin, caffeine and potential drug interactions
17:39 โ Is fisetin the best senolytic candidate?
18:40 โ Do senolytics have a future in longevity?
19:45 โ Are anti-ageing supplement claims justified?
21:35 โ Designing better senolytic clinical trials
22:14 โ The future of cellular senescence research
22:40 โ Where to follow Juliette's research
Juliette discusses research into senolytic and senomorphic approaches, including clinical studies investigating fisetin, safety, pharmacokinetics and potential changes in markers of inflammation and ageing.
A central challenge remains: researchers need to determine who might benefit from these therapies, how to measure senescent cell burden reliably, and whether changes in biomarkers translate into meaningful improvements in health, physical function and cognition.
Do you think senolytics could become an important part of the future of longevity medicine? What evidence would you want to see before considering a treatment designed to target senescent cells?
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