Binsheng Wang, MD

Targeting p21Cip1-highly-expressing Cells to Improve Lifespan and Healthspan in Naturally Aged Mice

Chronological age is the leading risk factor for most chronic diseases, frailty, and mortality worldwide. Older adults often have multiple chronic conditions at the same time, resulting in reduced health and reduced quality of life. There is a big challenge to compress morbidity period and increase healthspan. Dr. Wang’s research aims to characterize the role and mechanisms of p21Cip1-highly-expressing (p21^high) senescent cells in lifespan and healthspan. He has generated and validated a new p21-Cre transgenic mouse model, and he will use this model to investigate whether clearance of p21^high cells in mice could reduce frailty index, extend lifespan, and more importantly, improve physical function at the end of life. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of p21^high cells in vivo, this project’s findings could be broadly relevant to the field of aging research.