Scientists have uncovered a surprising secret about ‘zombie’ skin cells, revealing that not all of them are harmful as previously thought.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University identified three distinct subtypes of senescent cells, which could explain their dual role in aging and disease.
While some of these ‘zombie’ cells contribute to inflammation and disease, others play a key part in healing and immune defence.
By analysing skin cell samples from 50 healthy donors, the team used cutting-edge imaging and machine learning to classify these cells, finding that one subtype becomes more common with age.
This breakthrough could lead to targeted therapies that eliminate harmful senescent cells while preserving the beneficial ones, offering new hope for treating age-related diseases and even improving cancer treatments.