Senolytic-Resistant Senescent Cells Have a Distinct SASP Profile and Functional Impact: The Path to Developing Senosensitizers

The senescent cell (SC) fate is linked to aging, multiple disorders and diseases, and physical dysfunction. Senolytics, agents that selectively eliminate 30-70% of SCs, act by transiently disabling the senescent cell anti-apoptotic pathways (SCAPs), which defend those SCs that are pro-apoptotic from their own senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Consistent with this, a JAK/STAT inhibitor, Ruxolitinib, which attenuates the pro-apoptotic SASP of senescent human preadipocytes, caused them to become “senolytic-resistant”. Administering senolytics to obese mice selectively decreased abundance of the subset of SCs that is pro-inflammatory. In cell cultures, the 30-70% of human senescent preadipocytes or human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) that are senolytic-resistant (to Dasatinib or Quercetin, respectively) had increased p16INK4a, p21CIP1, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (Saβgal), γH2AX, and proliferative arrest similar to the total SC population (comprising senolytic-sensitive plus -resistant SCs). However, the SASP of senolytic-resistant SCs entailed less pro-inflammatory/apoptotic factor production, induced less inflammation in non-senescent cells, and was equivalent or richer in growth/ fibrotic factors. Senolytic-resistant SCs released less mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and more highly expressed the anti-inflammatory, immune evasion signal, glycoprotein non-melanoma-B (GPNMB). Transplanting senolytic-resistant SCs intraperitoneally into younger mice caused less physical dysfunction than transplanting the total SC population. Since Ruxolitinib attenuates SC release of pro-apoptotic SASP factors while pathogen-associated molecular pattern factors (PAMPs) can amplify release of these factors rapidly (acting as “senosensitizers”), senolytic-resistant and senolytic-sensitive SCs appear to be interconvertible.