Targeting p21high senescent cells to improve healthspan and lifespan
Dr. Xu plans to examine the role of senescent cells in aging as well as to develop and test the effects of senolytic drugs (which specifically kill senescent cells) for translational purpose. Dr. Xu hopes that these studies will provide us and others with important information about the role of cellular senescence in aging, which may lead to future clinical trials using these drugs to slow down the effects of aging in humans. In this project, Dr. Xu will use his novel mouse model to test the role of p21-highly-expressed (p21high) senescent cells in aging, and examine the underlying mechanism by which these cells lead to tissue dysfunction.