Austrian-led research with BOKU participation produces guidelines on the role of senescent cells in the ageing process.

An international consensus paper led by Austrian scientists with BOKU participation sheds light on the role of senescent cells in the ageing process. These cells, which are generated by cellular stress and can promote chronic inflammation, are the focus of new therapeutic approaches to combat age-related diseases. The aim is to use a better understanding of senescence to intervene in a targeted manner in order to reduce tissue damage and promote regeneration.

The research center, in cooperation with AUVA, has set itself the task of transferring scientific findings from the laboratory directly into practice. In cooperation with the Ludwig Boltzmann Research Group on Ageing and Wound Healing and the International Cell Senescence Association (ICSA), Johannes Grillari (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology at BOKU and Director of the LBI for Traumatology) invited leading experts in cellular senescence research in vivo. Among the participants were renowned Austrian scientists from the Medical University of Vienna, the University of Innsbruck and BOKU Vienna as well as the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Traumatology - international greats from Europe, America and Asia.

"A few years ago, it was discovered that eliminating senescent cells with so-called senolytics can delay or even reverse age-related diseases. This leads to an extension of the health span, i.e. more healthy years of life," explains Grillari. "However, the detection of senescence in preclinical in vivo models has so far been a challenge. To address this problem, we have developed an international consensus on how such cells can be detected. This is a crucial step towards clinical development that will advance our scientific community. In addition, this progress is also of great importance for our BOKU spin-off Rockfish Bio, which aims to bring senolytics developed by us to patients."

The result of this international collaboration are the MICSE guidelines (Minimal Information on Cellular Senescence Experimentation in vivo), which were recently published in the renowned journal "Cell". These guidelines provide a standardized set of markers and techniques for the investigation of senescent cells in their natural tissue environment.

By working together and agreeing on a universal framework, the researchers are ensuring that they speak a common "language" to tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing our society: the ageing population and the high socio-economic burden associated with it. The aim is to develop strategies that extend the health span of the individual and bring more life into our years.
 

 

Contact

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Johannes Grillari
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Traumatology, the research center in cooperation with AUVA
Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, BOKU Vienna
johannes.grillari(at)lbg.ac.at

Mikolaj Ogrodnik, PhD
Ludwig Boltzmann Research Group: Senescence and Wound Healing
Donaueschingenstraße 13, 1200 Vienna
mikolaj.ogrodnik(at)lbg.ac.at

Marco Demaria, PhD
European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, Groningen, The Netherlands
m.demaria(at)umcg.nl

A great success of many years of research work at the BOKU, the MUW and the LBI for Traumatology towards the clinical development of senolytics, which brings us closer to the goal of developing senolytics against a variety of age-associated diseases. In the picture: the co-authors of the guideline. © LBI