MAYO CLINIC MINUTE

Could ‘zombie cells’ in the skin be aging your brain too?

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that senescent cells – non-dividing “zombie” cells – accumulate in the skin as people age and may influence aging in other parts of the body. Their recent study revealed that transplanting senescent skin cells into a preclinical model revealed that they not only caused that senescence to spread to other tissues but also accelerated physical decline, impaired muscle function and adversely affected brain health. This discovery indicates that senescent cells in the skin could drive broader, systemic aging.

“This discovery is significant because it suggests that senescent cells in the skin – an organ not typically associated with aging, beyond wrinkles – might be driving broader, systemic aging processes.

These findings could also help explain the link between skin conditions and cognitive decline, offering potential new pathways for addressing both physical and mental deterioration as we age,” says Mayo Clinic researcher João Passos, Ph.D., who is one of the lead authors on the study, published recently in Aging Cell.

This research also offers support for anti-aging strategies that aim to keep both the body and mind healthier for longer.

“This study suggests that skin senescence may accelerate aging in other organs, highlighting the importance of preventing factors like sun exposure, smoking, alcohol and poor diet that contribute to premature skin aging,” says Ana Catarina Franco, the study’s first author and Mayo Clinic visiting graduate student.

The researchers aim to investigate whether senolytic drugs, originally developed at Mayo Clinic and shown to eliminate senescent cells among people with a high number of senescent cells, can improve overall health when applied topically to the skin. They also plan to do more research to try to understand the mechanisms by which senescent cells may spread from the skin to other organs.

Clean out old medications safely

Leftover or expired medications can be dangerous if not disposed of properly.

Safely getting rid of unneeded prescriptions, like opioids or expired drugs, is essential to prevent misuse and accidental harm.

Dr. Tina Ardon, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, says proper medication disposal helps safeguard your home and community from unnecessary risks. Learn why it’s important to clean out old medications safely.

Is your medicine cabinet lined with prescriptions you’re no longer using?

“It’s not uncommon that I hear patients have a lot of leftover medications or medications they no longer need to use, and that can include opioid pain medications, maybe after surgery or an injury,” says Dr. Ardon.

Use medication as prescribed. Holding on to medication for potential future use is discouraged.

“There can be the tendency sometimes to reach for something that was used for another purpose, for a new pain. And we want to make sure, again, our patients are using medications that are right for their issue,” she says.

And it’s not just pain medication. Using any medicine for something it wasn’t meant for may lead to side effects or other problems.

“A common example is using leftover antibiotics that can cause resistance to some of the bacteria that are out there.

We want to make sure we are using our antibiotics appropriately,” says Dr. Ardon. She says take your medications completely as prescribed and safely dispose of those you are no longer using. You can check with your local pharmacy or … “Consider National Take Back Day, which is a great way to be able to dispose of your medication safely, and we can all contribute to having safer practices with our medications,” says Dr.

Ardon.

– Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)