Autoimmune & Arthritis

Senolytics and Senomorphics May Offer a New Treatment Angle for Giant Cell Arteritis

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large-vessel inflammatory disease peaking between ages 70 and 80. Standard treatments suppress inflammation but may miss deeper age-related mechanisms. This review explores whether senotherapeutics — drugs that target senescent cells — could fill that gap. Senescent cells accumulate in affected arteries and release a toxic mix of pro-inflammatory signals called the SASP, worsening vascular damage. Senolytics such as fisetin, quercetin, curcumin, and dasatinib selectively eliminate these cells, while senomorphics like resveratrol, metformin, rapamycin, and ruxolitinib dampen their harmful secretions without destroying them. Both classes modulate pathways including NF-κB, mTOR, JAK/STAT, and sirtuins. The authors argue that targeting senescence in GCA is both biologically plausible and clinically timely, though optimal agents, dosing, and safety profiles — particularly vascular side effects — remain to be established.