Senolytics selectively trigger cell death in senescent 'zombie' cells. What senescent cells are, how senolytics are classified, and where immunity fits.
Senolytics are agents that selectively trigger cell death in senescent cells. Senescent cells have stopped dividing but have not died, which is why they are nicknamed zombie cells. The word describes a research approach, not a single product.
Senescence is a stress response. The cell enters a stable, near-permanent arrest of division but stays alive and metabolically active. It resists apoptosis, the programmed cell death that normally removes damaged cells, and it releases a mix of signalling molecules known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, or SASP. Triggers studied in laboratories include telomere dysfunction and persistent DNA damage. Senescent cells differ by type and there is no single specific marker, so identifying them is difficult.
One published scheme groups them by where they act. Some disrupt protein networks that regulate cell survival and are reorganised during senescence. Others switch down survival pathways the cells rely on. A third group acts on housekeeping processes that senescence puts under strain. Sensitivity varies between senescent cell types, so selectivity is a central research question.
Senescent cells are normally cleared by the immune system. If they escape it, they can accumulate. Some research approaches aim to restore that clearance by directing T cells at senescent cells instead of using a small molecule. One example is the peptide SenoMune-0257, announced by Immorta Bio in October 2026, and our SenoMune-0257 explainer sets out what the company has and has not reported. For other ageing research, see NAD+ in cellular energy research.
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ResearchSenoMune-0257 is a nine-amino-acid peptide from Immorta Bio, still preclinical. What the company reported on 12 October 2026, and what it has not.
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