Senolytic cancer therapy

We're developing a new type of ADC to eliminate senescent cells during chemotherapy.

Explore the science
01 /SCIENCE

Chemotherapy-
induced senescence

Chemotherapy and senescence in tumour and healthy tissue Three conceptual stages show a person with a pink tumour, chemotherapy entering through an intravenous line with gold drug particles circulating throughout the body, and seven individual senescent cells in blue-grey, each with a clear membrane and nucleus, at the tumour site and in healthy tissue. The stages depict chemotherapy-induced senescence, not spread of the tumour. Body locations are schematic and do not identify a cancer type.
01

Chemotherapy damages cells

Chemotherapy kills cancer cells, but can also damage healthy cells.

02

Damage can lead to senescence

In both tumours and healthy tissues, some damaged cells stop dividing but remain alive—a state known as senescence.

03

Senescent cells cause further harm

In tumours, these cells may support cancer regrowth. In healthy tissues, they may contribute to chemotherapy-related side effects.

Our focus:Eliminating senescent cells during chemotherapy

02 /APPROACH

Antibody and payload.
Designed for synergy.

Our antibody–drug conjugate combines an active antibody with a complementary payload, designed to work together against senescent cancer cells.

Senescent cell
An ADC designed to trigger pyroptotic cell death One antibody–drug conjugate binds a generic target on a senescent cancer cell through the tip of an antibody arm; the antibody stem points away from the cell. A gold payload is linked to the antibody. A rose path, numbered 1, represents antibody activity. A gold path, numbered 2, represents payload activity. Both converge at a shared point, numbered 3. Selecting 3 shows the intended pyroptotic cell-death outcome: a cell with disrupted membrane contours, fragmented internal structures, a small membrane opening and particles released from its right edge. The dashed paths represent the intended activities of the two components. Antibody Payload 1 2 3

Select a step to explore the activity and outcome.

Showing antibody activity.

03 /VISION

More lasting benefit.
Less treatment burden.

Our ambition extends beyond tumour control to the wider impact of chemotherapy in cancer patients.

One Drug. Two outcomes.
An ADC approaching a senescent cell A rose antibody carries a linked gold payload, with its binding arms facing a senescent cell. This single approach is linked to the two outcomes shown alongside.
OUR APPROACH

Target harmful
senescent cells

During chemotherapy
OUTCOME 01

Deeper, more durable
cancer responses

OUTCOME 02

Fewer chemotherapy
side effects

04 /THE TEAM

From discovery
to development.

Rolf Jan Rutten

Rolf Jan Rutten

CEO

Biotechnology entrepreneur and co-founder of ThromboDx, acquired by Illumina, with experience leading drug development programmes from preclinical research into clinical trials.

Bas van der Baan

Bas van der Baan

CBO

Former Chief Clinical and Business Development Officer at Agendia, with experience in precision oncology, clinical trials, reimbursement and commercialisation.

Liqin Wang

Liqin Wang

Scientific founder

A principal investigator at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, researching senescence, senolytic therapies and drug resistance in cancer.

René Bernards

René Bernards

Scientific founder

A cancer geneticist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and inventor of MammaPrint, researching drug resistance and senescence in cancer treatment.

LET’S MOVE THE SCIENCE FORWARD

The next chapter
starts with a conversation.

For research, development and partnership enquiries.

Get in touch bbaan@oncosence.com
RESEARCH ON SENESCENCE

The case for
targeting senescence.

Three linked findings underpin the rationale for targeting senescence during chemotherapy.

  1. 01 / HUMAN TISSUE STUDIES

    Chemotherapy induces senescence

    Studies of breast cancer patients detected senescence-associated changes in treated tumours and an accumulation of senescence-marker-positive cells in non-cancerous breast tissue after chemotherapy.

    te Poele et al., 2002 Febres-Aldana et al., 2020
  2. 02 / EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE IN MICE

    Senescent cells contribute to side effects

    Clearing chemotherapy-induced senescent cells reduced inflammation and improved heart function, bone-marrow progenitor function and physical activity in mice. This shows that senescence contributes to several treatment-related harms.

    Demaria et al., 2017
  3. 03 / PRECLINICAL CANCER MODELS

    Clearing senescent cancer cells can delay relapse

    In mouse models of breast and lung cancer, eliminating chemotherapy-induced senescent cancer cells delayed relapse or tumour regrowth. These findings support investigating senescent-cell clearance for more durable responses.

    Shahbandi et al., 2020 Saleh et al., 2020