By investigating this process in discs in the spine, scientists have shown how so-called senolytic drugs that removes these destructive cells can prevent age-related deterioration, raising the prospect of a new opioid-free treatment for back pain in humans.

Since their emergence in 2015, senolytic drugs that take aim at senescent cells have shown significant promise in anti-aging research efforts. We've seen how this relatively new class of drugs can increase the lifespan of mice, but a huge part of their promise lies in their potential to improve our healthspan, or the amount of our lives we spend healthy, with scientists also showing how they can be used to rejuvenate old cells in rodents and make them behave like young cells once again.