Senescent cells — often called zombie cells — accumulate with age and drive chronic inflammation, tissue dysfunction, and accelerated aging. Senolytic compounds selectively clear these cells, reducing the low-grade chronic inflammation (inflammaging) associated with age-related disease.
The most studied senolytic agents include fisetin (a natural flavonoid concentrated in strawberries), quercetin (widely available as a supplement), and the dasatinib plus quercetin (D+Q) combination studied in Mayo Clinic clinical trials. Research published in Nature Medicine, EBioMedicine, and Mayo Clinic Proceedings supports their mechanism and early clinical utility.
Senolytics are typically used in intermittent pulse protocols — for example two to five consecutive days per quarter — rather than daily dosing. The evidence is strongest for D+Q from multiple Mayo Clinic trials, with fisetin showing strong preclinical data and early human signals in the AFFIRM-LITE trial.