To what degree is it possible to slow or regress atherosclerosis by clearing senescent cells from plaque and artery walls? A few lines of evidence from animal studies suggest that slowing plaque growth is possible. These include efforts to clear senescent macrophages that have become foam cells in plaque using small molecule senolytics, or Bitterroot Bio’s targeting of CD47 to achieve a similar outcome. This does not appear to produce plaque regression, however, most likely because it doesn’t address the…
Endothelial Cell Senescence is Probably Important in Atherosclerosis
To what degree is it possible to slow or regress atherosclerosis by clearing senescent cells from plaque and artery walls? A few lines of evidence from animal studies suggest that slowing plaque growth is possible. These include efforts to clear senescent macrophages that have become foam cells in plaque using small molecule senolytics, or Bitterroot Bio’s targeting of CD47 to achieve a similar outcome. This does not appear to produce plaque regression, however, most likely because it doesn’t address the…