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Activatable senoprobes and senolytics: Novel strategies to detect and target senescent cells.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Doherty, Gary J 
Muñoz-Espín, Daniel 

Abstract

Pharmacologically active compounds that manipulate cellular senescence (senotherapies) have recently shown great promise in multiple pre-clinical disease models, and some of them are now being tested in clinical trials. Despite promising proof-of-principle evidence, there are known on- and off-target toxicities associated with these compounds, and therefore more refined and novel strategies to improve their efficacy and specificity for senescent cells are being developed. Preferential release of drugs and macromolecular formulations within senescent cells has been predominantly achieved by exploiting one of the most widely used biomarkers of senescence, the increase in lysosomal senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, a common feature of most reported senescent cell types. Galacto-conjugation is a versatile therapeutic and detection strategy to facilitate preferential targeting of senescent cells by using a variety of existing formulations, including modular systems, nanocarriers, activatable prodrugs, probes, and small molecules. We discuss the benefits and drawbacks of these specific senescence targeting tools and how the strategy of galacto-conjugation might be utilised to design more specific and sophisticated next-generation senotherapeutics, as well as theranostic agents. Finally, we discuss some innovative strategies and possible future directions for the field.

Description

Keywords

Ageing, Cancer, Cellular senescence, Disease, Galacto-conjugation, Nanoparticle, Prodrug, Senoprobe, Senotherapy, Biomarkers, Cellular Senescence, Lysosomes, Senotherapeutics

Journal Title

Mech Ageing Dev

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0047-6374
1872-6216

Volume Title

202

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MR/R000530/1)
Cancer Research UK (C62187/A29760)