Combining Dasatinib & Quercetin as a Senolytic Therapy - Quick Reference Sheet
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Combining Dasatinib & Quercetin as a Senolytic Therapy

Created on 09/13/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5 – Audit

Dasatinib and quercetin together are the most studied attempt to remove worn-out cells from the body. Short courses reduce markers of these cells in fat and skin, but no human trial has yet shown a clear health benefit. The drug half causes serious harms at daily cancer doses; the brief schedule is designed to avoid them, not shown to. (Full Review)

Protocol

Standard regimen
Dasatinib 100 mg + quercetin 1000–1250 mg
Dasatinib once daily on two consecutive days; quercetin on two or three, from the same morning. Both taken together, orally.
Cycle length alternatives
Repeated every 14 to 28 days
Trials used three days weekly for three weeks, two days fortnightly for twelve weeks, and two to three days every 28 days for twenty weeks. None shown superior.
Best time of day
Morning
Used throughout the trials; keeps stomach upset and any sleep disturbance within waking hours.
Time to effect
Bone formation markers
2 weeks
Short-lived: normalised by 20 weeks.
Senescent-cell markers
Within 11 days
Fat and skin markers, after a three-day course.
Functional changes
3 to 12 weeks
Where seen at all.

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Pregnancy, attempted conception and breastfeeding
  • Active malignancy, including myeloma, outside a supervised trial
  • Heart failure (any New York Heart Association class), history of pulmonary arterial hypertension, right-heart strain on electrocardiogram
  • Corrected QT interval above 450 milliseconds, uncorrected low potassium or magnesium
  • Estimated glomerular filtration rate below 30 mL/min/1.73 m², liver enzymes above twice normal
  • Therapeutic anticoagulation, bleeding disorder, platelet count below the normal range
  • Clinically evident fluid retention, current pleural effusion, abnormal complete blood count
  • Already taking a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, or drugs that induce cellular senescence
  • Recent surgery or an unhealed wound
    •
Key Interactions
  • Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors: ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir, grapefruit juice
  • Strong CYP3A4 inducers: rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, St John's wort
  • Acid-reducing medication: proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole), H2 blockers (famotidine)
  • Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs: warfarin, apixaban, heparins, clopidogrel, ticagrelor, prasugrel
  • Over-the-counter analgesics: aspirin, NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac)
  • QT-prolonging medication: amiodarone, sotalol, citalopram, ondansetron, macrolides, fluoroquinolones
  • Quinolone antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin
  • Narrow-therapeutic-index substrates: ciclosporin, tacrolimus, sirolimus, digoxin, some statins
  • Antiviral combinations: nirmatrelvir–ritonavir and similar CYP3A4-dependent antivirals
  • Supplement interactions: fish oil, high-dose vitamin E, ginkgo, garlic extract, nattokinase, curcumin
  • Supplements with additive effects: beetroot powder, magnesium, potassium, hibiscus extract; other senolytics (fisetin, luteolin, navitoclax)
  • Other interventions: alcohol; senescence-inducing chemotherapy (alkylating agents, anthracyclines, platinum drugs)

Risk & Side Effects

  • High: Transient gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin symptoms; fluid retention and pleural effusion; myelosuppression; bleeding and impaired platelet function; QT interval prolongation
  • Medium: Sleep disturbance and anxiety; pulmonary arterial hypertension
    •
  • Low: Rise in cerebrospinal fluid inflammatory markers
    •
  • Speculative: Demyelination in brain white matter; kidney injury in already-damaged kidneys; promotion of oestrogen-dependent tumours; impaired wound healing and tissue repair; amplified dasatinib exposure from quercetin

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
Platelet count 200–350 × 10⁹/L Dasatinib's most ranked blood toxicity
Absolute neutrophil count 2.0–5.0 × 10⁹/L Detects infection-fighting white-cell suppression
Haemoglobin 13.5–15.0 g/dL (men), 12.5–14.5 g/dL (women) Anaemia is a ranked dasatinib toxicity
eGFR Above 80 mL/min/1.73 m² Kidney reserve; quercetin's flagged animal kidney signal
ALT and AST Below 25 U/L (men), below 20 U/L (women) Liver clearance of both agents
Potassium 4.0–4.5 mmol/L Low potassium amplifies QT prolongation
Magnesium (RBC) 5.0–6.5 mg/dL Low magnesium amplifies QT prolongation
Corrected QT interval Below 440 milliseconds Direct measure of dasatinib's cardiac effect
Blood pressure Below 120/80 mmHg Quercetin lowers it; dasatinib can raise it
hs-CRP Below 0.5 mg/L General inflammatory tone, downstream of senescence
Interleukin-6 Below 1.8 pg/mL A core senescence-associated secretory protein
T-cell p16 messenger RNA No established target — track own baseline The only measure that predicted response in a trial
P1NP and CTX No established target for senolytic use — track own baseline Bone formation and breakdown; phase 2 trial endpoints
Urinary α-Klotho No established target — track own baseline Proposed marker of actual senescent-cell clearance

Cadence: Baseline before the first dose. Blood count and metabolic panel one week after the first cycle, before each of the next two cycles, then every three to six months if cycling continues. Weight, blood pressure and breathing symptoms daily during dosing and for two weeks after. Electrocardiogram annually, or sooner if a QT-prolonging medication is added.

Qualitative Assessment

  • Breathlessness on stairs or lying flat, and any new cough
  • Ankle or facial swelling, and morning body weight
  • Unexplained bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums or dark stools
  • Sleep quality and anxiety during and after dosing days
  • Walking speed, chair-stand time and stair tolerance, recorded the same way each quarter
  • Energy levels and cognitive clarity in the two weeks after a cycle
Not medical advice. Educational distillation of a single evidence review. Confirm any decision with a qualified clinician, especially in the presence of prescription drugs or chronic conditions.