Cited by 364Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsCell death mechanisms and regulation

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 67 of the 71 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 4 of the 40 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Cardiac glycosides are broad-spectrum senolytics

Open access

Abstract

Senescence is a cellular stress response that results in the stable arrest of old, damaged or preneoplastic cells. Oncogene-induced senescence is tumor suppressive but can also exacerbate tumorigenesis through the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors from senescent cells. Drugs that selectively kill senescent cells, termed senolytics, have proved beneficial in animal models of many age-associated diseases. Here, we show that the cardiac glycoside, ouabain, is a senolytic agent with broad activity. Senescent cells are sensitized to ouabain-induced apoptosis, a process mediated in part by induction of the pro-apoptotic Bcl2-family protein NOXA. We show that cardiac glycosides synergize with anti-cancer drugs to kill tumor cells and eliminate senescent cells that accumulate after irradiation or in old mice. Ouabain also eliminates senescent preneoplastic cells. Our findings suggest that cardiac glycosides may be effective anti-cancer drugs by acting through multiple mechanism. Given the broad range of senescent cells targeted by cardiac glycosides their use against age-related diseases warrants further exploration.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

Cardiac glycosides, especially ouabain, act as broad-spectrum senolytics that preferentially kill senescent cells across oncogene-, therapy-, replicative-, and irradiation-induced models. The effect involves apoptosis partly through NOXA and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase inhibition, and ouabain also reduces senescent cells and inflammation in old mice and preneoplastic lesions.

Key findings

  • Screening the 1,280-compound LOPAC library in IMR90 ER:RAS oncogene-induced senescence and etoposide-induced senescence identified ouabain and CGP-74514A as compounds that selectively killed both senescent models; ouabain also killed cells senesced by doxorubicin, palbociclib, or replicative exhaustion and eliminated p16INK4a-positive primary bronchial epithelial cells.
  • Ouabain’s EC50 was about 50-fold lower in senescent than normal cells; digoxin and digitoxin were also senolytic, with digitoxin active near plasma concentrations reported in cardiac patients (20–33 nM). Bufalin and aglycone forms also showed activity, arguing the glycoside chain is not required.
  • Senescent-cell killing occurred via apoptosis: cleaved caspase 3 and caspase 3/7 activity increased, and pan-caspase inhibition blocked death, whereas ferroptosis, pyroptosis, or necroptosis inhibitors did not. Mechanistically, ouabain effects were linked to Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase inhibition, K⁺ loss, and partial dependence on NOXA, with JNK, GSK3-β, and p38 signaling involved.
  • In vivo, ouabain reduced Nras-positive senescent hepatocytes in immunosuppressed mice, eliminated β-catenin-positive preneoplastic pituitary cells ex vivo, reduced lung senescent cells and Il1a/Il6 after 6 Gy irradiation, and in 24-month-old female mice lowered p16INK4a in liver, heart, and kidney, reduced liver SA-β-Gal, and reversed some age-associated blood, motor, and immune-infiltration changes; plasma ouabain was 1.24 ± 0.48 ng/ml 24 h after a treatment round.

Methods

  • Unbiased drug screens used IMR90 ER:RAS cells for oncogene-induced senescence and etoposide-treated IMR90 cells for therapy-induced senescence, with the LOPAC 1,280 library and viability readouts by automated microscopy; additional senescence models included doxorubicin, palbociclib, replicative exhaustion, irradiation, and multiple cancer cell lines.
  • Mechanistic work used RNA-seq, GSEA, xCell, qRT-PCR, immunoblot, siRNA/shRNA knockdown, intracellular ion probes, caspase activity assays, and inhibitors of apoptosis and signaling pathways.
  • Mouse studies included C57BL/6J mice given 6 Gy total-body irradiation, C.B17 scid/beige mice with transposon-mediated NRASG12V expression, ex vivo cultured embryonic pituitaries from a β-catenin model, and 98–103-week-old female C57BL/6J mice treated intermittently with 1 mg/kg ouabain intraperitoneally for 13 weeks, with physical tests, blood chemistry, ELISA, IHC, and RNA-seq.

Limitations

  • The paper states that it remains unclear whether Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase inhibition fully explains the senolytic effects of cardiac glycosides, how much of the benefit in old mice is specifically due to senolysis versus other effects, and whether these compounds have senolytic activity in humans.
  • The authors note that cardiac glycosides are pleiotropic, so alternative or complementary explanations—including direct killing of specific immune infiltrates—cannot be excluded; mouse resistance to ouabain due to Atp1a1 differences also complicates translation.
  • Evident from the text: several age-related endpoints were non-significant trends (for example grip strength, p21Cip1, and LINE1 ORF1), some bystander doxorubicin data are described as not shown, old mice were not littermates, and the study is preclinical with small mouse cohorts.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/s42255-019-0122-z

Cites

67 of 67 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

64 Own result · 26 Not checked yet · 26 Own interpretation · 5 Own method · 2 Supported · 1 Partly supported · accuracy not yet measured

Verify all 36 references — free account

Show all 71 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 24
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 35
53 of 53
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    How senolytics affect cancer initiation, progression, and treatment is poorly defined or understudied.

    “Despite the many roles that senescence plays in cancer initiation, progression and treatment, how senolytics can affect these processes is poorly defined.”
    “Despite the multiple roles that senescence holds during cancer initiation, progression and treatment, how senolytics impact on these processes is understudied.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    There is a need to identify further compounds with senolytic properties because of side-effects of known senolytics.

    “Due to the important side-effects associated to known senolytic compounds, there is a need to identify further compounds with senolytic properties.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Senescence occurs at different stages of cancer evolution and treatment.

    “Senescence occurs at different stages of cancer evolution and treatment.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and some targeted anti-cancer drugs rely on senescence induction.

    “Given that chemotherapy, radiotherapy and some targeted anti-cancer drugs rely on senescence induction”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Cardiac glycosides have been used in the clinic for a long time.

    “CGs have been used in the clinic for a long time.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Digoxin and digitoxin are used for heart failure and atrial arrhythmia.

    “Digoxin and digitoxin are used for the treatment of heart failure and atrial arrhythmia.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Senescence has a causal role in age-related disease.

    “the causal role of senescence in age-related disease”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    A factor limiting the use of cardiac glycosides has been their potential for side effects.

    “a factor limiting their use has been the potential for side effects.”
8 of 8

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Metadata

Authors
Guerrero, A., Herranz, N., Sun, B., Wagner, V., Gallage, S., Guiho, R., Wolter, K., Pombo, J., Irvine, E. E., Innes, A. J., Birch, J., Glegola, J., Manshaei, S., Heide, D., Dharmalingam, G., Harbig, J., Olona, A., Behmoaras, J., Dauch, D., Uren, A. G., Zender, L., Vernia, S., Martínez-Barbera, J. P., Heikenwalder, M., Withers, D. J., & Gil, J.
Affiliations
  • MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (GB)
  • German Cancer Research Center (DE)
  • University College London (GB)
  • Universitätsklinikum Tübingen (DE)
  • Hammersmith Hospital (GB)
Corresponding author
Gil, Jesús
Venue
Nature Metabolism
Published
2019-10-21
Volume
1
Issue
11
Pages
1074-1088
ISSN
2522-5812 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2980638238
Cited by
359
References
71
Citations by year
2026: 36 · 2025: 60 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 52 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 4
FWCI
26.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • RCUK | Medical Research Council (MC-A652-5PZ00)
  • RCUK | MRC | Medical Research Foundation (MC-A652-5PZ00)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Cell death mechanisms and regulation
Keywords
cardiac glycosides, ouabain, senolytics, cellular senescence, oncogene-induced senescence, Noxa, apoptosis, radiation-induced senescence, age-related diseases
MeSH terms
Animals, Antineoplastic Agents, Cardiac Glycosides, Humans, Ouabain, Quercetin, Cellular Senescence, Apoptosis, Mice, Rats

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