A Mayo Clinic study has shown evidence linking the biology of aging with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that impairs lung function and causes shortness of breath, fatigue, declining quality of life, and, ultimately, death. Researchers believe that these findings, which appear in Nature Communications, are the next step toward a possible therapy for individuals suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The team studied the lung tissue of healthy individuals and of persons with mild, moderate and severe idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Researchers found that the markers of cellular senescence, a process triggered by damage to cells and linked to aging, were higher in individuals with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and senescent cell burden increased with the progression of the disease. Then, they demonstrated that factors secreted by senescent cells could drive inflammation and aberrant tissue remodeling and fibrosis, which are hallmarks of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Equipped with the findings from their studies of human lung tissue, researchers then replicated the process in mice. They found that, much like in humans, mice with clinical features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis also demonstrated increased amounts of senescent cells.

Researchers used a genetic model programmed to make senescent cells self-destruct and a drug combination of dasatinib and quercetin which, in previous studies conducted by Mayo Clinic, was shown to eliminate senescent cells. Results showed that clearing senescent cells from unhealthy mice improved measures of lung function and physical health, such as exercise capacity on a treadmill.

While further research is needed researchers hope that targeting senescent cells could be a viable treatment option for individuals who suffer from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-researchers-discover-link-between-aging-devastating-lung-disease/

http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14532