Keynote | Hiroshi Kondoh | Kyoto University Hospital

Prof Kondoh’s keynote focused on why senescent (”zombie”) cells refuse to die — and how to make them. His group found that senescent cells ramp up glycolysis through a non-canonical role of the enzyme PGAM, which partners with chaperone proteins to keep the cell’s energy and survival pathways switched on. A compound called Nutlin-3b was shown to selectively break this interaction, clearing senescent cells in older mice, restoring metabolic balance, and reducing the harmful inflammatory signals these cells secrete — all without the toxic side effects seen with related compounds. In a model of age-related lung fibrosis, this approach reduced damaging immune cell buildup and eased fibrotic symptoms, pointing to a genuinely targeted way to clear senescent cells rather than broadly suppressing them. 🔔 Subscribe and stay tuned! More: 🌐Longevity India: https://linktr.ee/longevity.india Aging is something we all experience — in our families, our parents, and ourselves. We often talk about it, but we rarely record it. At Longevity India, we’re trying to change that. Through a few simple questions, we’re trying to capture what aging looks like in Indian homes: our diets, health habits, and everyday lives. Take the surveys here: https://lnk.bio/LongevityIndiaSurveys