Multiple sclerosis (MS) doesn't just cause inflammation and nerve damage — it may also accelerate the aging of brain cells themselves. Researchers at Harvard, Brigham & Women's, and McGill University reviewed growing evidence that MS drives a premature aging and senescence-like state in brain cells, which worsens disability over time and reduces how well older patients respond to standard treatments. This accelerated cellular aging appears to be triggered by chronic inflammatory injury and is influenced by sex hormones. As patients age, the disease becomes harder to treat and more likely to shift into a progressive form with continuous symptoms and no remission periods. The review explores potential anti-aging therapeutic strategies — such as senolytics and hormone-related approaches — as future avenues to slow this neurodegenerative process in older MS patients.
