14 OCTOBER 2025, SEOUL/LONDON — At the World Congress of Neurology, Dr. Mikołaj Ogrodnik, PhD, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology, Austria, delivered a compelling plenary lecture revealing how cellular senescence — a hallmark of aging biology — may be a key driver of brain dysfunction and neurodegenerative disease.
For decades, senescent cells were studied primarily in cell culture and later also in peripheral tissues. Dr. Ogrodnik traced the evolution of the field from early laboratory discoveries to the recognition that senescent brain cells, including microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocyte precursor cells, accumulate with age and in neurodegenerative disease — and may actively impair memory and cognition.
“Senescent cells in the brain are real. They arise with aging, increase in number during disease, and contribute to cognitive decline. Importantly, when we effectively and selectively target them, function improves,” he emphasized.
Dr. Ogrodnik highlighted pioneering studies showing that senolytic treatments improve memory, reduce pathological protein accumulation, and restore behavioral performance in aging and neurodegeneration models, and neurological disorders.
Dr. Ogrodnik emphasized that senescent cells appear in diverse conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease and obesity-related brain dysfunction to traumatic brain injury. Research reveals striking behavioral recovery in aged mice treated with senescence-targeting compounds, including improved maze navigation and exploratory behavior.
Senescence may reflect a “wound-like” response in the brain, triggered by stress and damage — and in some cases, might be reversible. This introduces a new therapeutic horizon with precision senolytics designed to selectively block harmful senescent brain cells — and eventually, target damage at its source.
“If senescence is an injury response, then correcting the damage signals — not only clearing the cells — may allow us to truly reverse aspects of brain aging,” he noted.
He urged the neurology community to accelerate clinical translation, build brain-specific senolytic tools, and rigorously define senescence biomarkers. Emerging initiatives, including global consensus criteria for identifying senescent cells (Minimum Information for Cellular Senescence Experimentation, MICSE), set the stage for standardized research and therapeutic development.
“We are entering a moment when neurodegeneration research and aging biology converge. Targeting senescent cells offers a path toward not only slowing decline — but potentially restoring cognitive function.”
About the World Congress of Neurology
The World Federation of Neurology’s World Congress of Neurology brings together leading neuroscientists and public health experts to turn research into action and emphasize the importance of brain health across the globe. The 27th biennial conference was held in Seoul, South Korea from October 12 to 15, 2025, and was co-hosted by the Korean Neurological Association (KNA).
About the World Federation of Neurology
With support from its 126 Member Societies, the World Federation of Neurology fosters quality neurology and brain health worldwide by promoting neurological education and training, emphasizing under-resourced areas of the world. As a non-state actor in official relations, WFN supports the World Health Organization (WHO) efforts to give everyone an equal chance to live a healthy life. With Member Societies around the globe, WFN unites the world’s neurologists to ensure quality neurology and advocate for people to have better brain health. Learn more about the World Federation of Neurology at wfneurology.org.
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