The Trick With Senolytics

A November 2024 publication in Nature Communications confirmed a key role for senescent cells in cancer progression and immune evasion. Building on these findings, The Medicine Maker interviewed Immorta Bio’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Thomas Ichim, to explore how the company’s senolytic immunotherapy, SenoVax™, aims to tackle this challenge.

SenoVax™ is a first-in-class, personalized dendritic cell-based therapy designed to eliminate senescent cells — which surround and protect cancer cells — without harming healthy tissue. These senescent cells exhibit unique surface markers and inflammatory profiles that make them distinct from normal cells. By exploiting these differences, SenoVax™ activates both antibody- and T-cell-mediated responses to clear them out.

Unlike conventional therapies that risk resistance or trigger widespread immune activation, SenoVax™ targets the cancer-supporting environment itself, potentially reducing side effects while improving efficacy. Preclinical trials in models of lung, breast, pancreatic, and brain cancers have shown reduced tumor size, lower metastatic spread, and improved survival with minimal toxicity.

As Immorta Bio moves toward clinical development, challenges around scaling, manufacturing, and expanding into other cancer types remain — but so does the promise of a new paradigm in oncology.