Azithromycin and Roxithromycin Define a New Family of Senolytic Drugs That Target Senescent Human Fibroblasts

The study identified Azithromycin and Roxithromycin as novel senolytic drugs capable of selectively targeting and eliminating senescent human fibroblasts, while sparing normal cells. Azithromycin showed significant efficacy, achieving a 97% reduction in senescent cells, and induced autophagy and glycolysis with dose-dependent effects on mitochondrial activity. Roxithromycin also demonstrated effectiveness, particularly in promoting hair regrowth by removing senescent skin fibroblasts. The study highlighted the specificity of these macrolide antibiotics compared to Erythromycin, which lacked senolytic activity, suggesting their potential repurposing as anti-aging drugs.