Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2403-9 (2020)

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells that target an antigen produced by senescent cells are potential therapies in diseases of aging and chronic tissue damage, such as diabetes and fibrosis.

Senescence is a mechanism of tumor suppression in which cell division is halted; however, it also has a role in pathogenesis and in many diseases of aging. Agents that target senescent cells (senolytics) are able to alleviate the pathologies linked to these cells.

Amor et al. identify an antigen (uPAR) specific to senescent human cells and are able to show in vivo in mice that CAR T cells directed against this antigen alleviate pathogenesis with two different pathologies linked to senescence.