Research into cellular senescence is at present one of the most exciting areas of the science of aging, as it is in this part of the scientific community that the first real, actual, legitimate rejuvenation therapies were discovered. These senolytic treatments, capable of selectively destroying senescent cells, are now in the process of verification in human trials. They offer the possibility of significant reversal of all inflammatory age-related disease, to a far greater degree than can be offered by any past therapy: osteoporosis; the fibrosis that drives dysfunction of the lung, heart, and kidney; neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's; atherosclerosis; and more. All of these conditions are either largely or partly caused by the accumulation of senescent cells that takes place in later life.

In the community of self-experimenters, many have chosen not to wait for the results of formal human trials. The evidence in mice from the past five years is robust and compelling; researchers have found it easy to reproduce benefits resulting from the removal of senescent cells, and have used a variety of small molecule drug families and other classes of therapy to achieve this goal. To the extent that an approach can destroy senescent cells, it works. The first generation of senolytic pharmaceuticals are both cheap and readily available, and tens of millions of older people in the US alone could benefit, given only the understanding and the proof of the first formal human data. A sweeping change is coming in what it means to be old, a great improvement in health across the board, at a very low cost per patient.

Meanwhile, the scientific community is forging ahead, building the foundations for the next generation of improved senolytic therapies, capable of removing a greater fraction of senescent cells with fewer accompanying side-effects. The near future of this field is bright, as is the future of our health in later life. We are now truly entering the era of human rejuvenation, a milestone in our technological progress as a species that will not soon be forgotten.

Cellular senescence, geroscience, cancer and beyond