Homoharringtonine, a novel senotherapeutic, mitigates diet- and age-associated obesity and insulin resistance and extends the lifespan of mice

The accumulation of senescent cells in white adipose tissue (WAT) is closely associated with the functional decline of WAT and plays a causal role in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. Therefore, the elimination of senescent cells in WAT holds promise for the treatment and prevention of age-related metabolic diseases. Using a drug-repositioning strategy for 2,150 clinically applied compounds, we discover that homoharringtonine (HHT), an FDA-approved anti-leukemic drug, manifests senotherapeutic activity in vitro in multiple cell types including human preadipocytes, while inflicting minimal cytotoxicity to non-senescent cells. HHT treatment prevents diet- or age-induced metabolic abnormalities in mice targeting senescent adipocytes and preadipocytes to improve WAT function and reduce WAT inflammation. Moreover, HHT treatment attenuates age-associated phenotypes of human adipose tissue. Mechanistically, the senotherapeutic effects of HHT are mediated through the direct interaction of HHT with heat shock protein family A member 5 (HSPA5). Importantly, we found that HHT treatment delays aging and extends the lifespan in progeroid and aged mice. Our study demonstrates the novel senotherapeutic potential of HHT to mitigate age- and obesity-related metabolic dysfunction and extend longevity in mice.