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Fisetin and quercetin (senolytics)

Human senolytic trials used dasatinib, a prescription drug, plus quercetin. In small trials the pair reduced senescent cell markers and improved liver fibrosis, while a bone trial missed its primary endpoint. Adverse events were more frequent than on placebo in the liver trial. Quercetin alone lowered blood pressure about 3 mmHg in pooled trials. No trial measured lifespan.

Add to Bio HackChecked 2026-11-09
Status
Fisetin and quercetin are sold as dietary supplements in the US. Dasatinib is a prescription cancer drug. The dasatinib plus quercetin combination is not FDA-approved for any use.
Also called
fisetin, quercetin, senolytics, senolytic supplements, dasatinib plus quercetin, D+Q, zombie cell clearance, flavonols
Taken for
slowing aging, longer life, clearing senescent cells, inflammation, physical function, bone, liver, memory, blood pressure

Strong several reviews agree · Moderate one review or consistent trials · Limited one or a few small studies · Untested no study in people, listed with what it rests on

Shown to help5

Reported risks2

What people take it for, and what was found

Shown to help5

Limited

Senescent cell burden

Small trials found fewer senescent cell markers after dasatinib, a prescription cancer drug, plus quercetin. A review found clinical benefit not established.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Eleven days after 3 days of dasatinib 100 mg and quercetin 1,000 mg, fat tissue had fewer p16- and p21-expressing cells and fewer cells with senescence-associated β-galactosidase. Skin p16 and p21 cells and blood SASP factors, including IL-1α and IL-6, also fell [1]. In fibrotic MASH, liver single-nucleus sequencing showed decreased senescence and fibrosis gene signatures [2]. A 2026 systematic review of 6 completed human studies found reductions in senescence biomarkers with dasatinib plus quercetin [3]. In 97 coronary bypass patients, quercetin alone at 500 mg twice a day from 2 days before surgery to discharge reversed senescence and inflammaging gene pathways in artery cells from men, improved endothelial relaxation in men but not women (p 0.049 overall), and showed a trend toward lower C-reactive protein (p 0.073). Post-operative atrial fibrillation occurred in 4% on quercetin and 18% on placebo (p 0.033) [4].
Population
9 adults with diabetic kidney disease, mean age 68.7 [1]; 31 adults with fibrotic MASH [2]; 6 completed human studies [3]; 97 patients (78 men) with coronary artery disease [4].
Sources
[1], [2], [3], [4]
Caveats
Trial [1] was open-label with no control group. These studies used dasatinib, a prescription cancer drug, not quercetin or fisetin alone. The review calls the evidence insufficient to establish clinical efficacy [3]. In the bypass trial, the gene findings were exploratory and the endothelial test was done on artery samples outside the body [4].
Limited

Liver fibrosis

One small trial found liver fibrosis improved in 47% on dasatinib plus quercetin against 7% on placebo in adults with fibrotic MASH.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Fibrosis improved by at least one stage without MASH worsening in 47% on dasatinib plus quercetin and 7% on placebo (p = 0.02). MASH resolved in 53% against 7% (p = 0.02) [2].
Population
31 adults with fibrotic MASH, median age 56, 58% with type 2 diabetes. Dasatinib 100 mg and quercetin 1,000 mg a day for 3 days a week, over three 7-week cycles [2].
Sources
[2]
Caveats
One small phase 2 trial with paired liver biopsies.
Moderate

Blood pressure (quercetin alone)

Shown to lower blood pressure about 3 mmHg systolic and 2.6 mmHg diastolic with quercetin alone, mainly above 500 mg a day.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Across 7 trials, quercetin lowered systolic pressure by 3.04 mmHg (95% CI -5.75 to -0.33) and diastolic pressure by 2.63 mmHg (95% CI -3.26 to -2.01). The effect appeared limited to, or larger at, more than 500 mg a day [9].
Population
587 patients in 7 RCTs with 9 arms [9].
Sources
[9]
Caveats
One meta-analysis from 2016. This is quercetin taken alone, not as a senolytic.
Moderate

Liver enzymes and lipids in fatty liver disease (quercetin alone)

Shown to lower liver enzymes, LDL and triglycerides with quercetin alone in people with fatty liver disease, at very low to moderate certainty.

The numbers and sources
Effect
A 2025 meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (540 patients) with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease found that quercetin lowered ALT, AST, GGT, direct bilirubin and C-reactive protein, lowered total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides, and raised HDL. BMI, body fat, kidney function and TNF-α did not change [10].
Population
540 patients with fatty liver disease in 7 RCTs [10].
Sources
[10]
Caveats
GRADE certainty ranged from very low to moderate. Dose, baseline BMI and age may explain heterogeneity. The abstract gives no pooled effect sizes [10]. None of the trials measured senescent cells.
LimitedStudied in men

Inflammation and metabolic markers (fisetin alone)

Small trials found lower inflammation and insulin resistance markers with 200 mg a day of fisetin in men with obesity, most with training.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Over 12 weeks, IL-6 and TNF-α fell in the fisetin-only group, and fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR fell in all active groups, most in training plus fisetin [11]. A second report from the same research group found weight loss in the fisetin-only group compared with placebo, and the largest drops in asprosin and MCP-1 with training plus fisetin [12].
Population
44 men with obesity at 200 mg a day [11]; 60 sedentary men with obesity at 200 mg a day [12].
Sources
[11], [12]
Caveats
Both reports come from one research group with similar four-arm designs. Neither measured senescent cells.

Mixed results1

Limited

Physical function and cognition

Small trials found mixed results: walking improved in an uncontrolled pulmonary fibrosis study, cognition did not change in Alzheimer disease, and quercetin results in older adults varied.

The numbers and sources
Effect
In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, six-minute walk distance, 4 m gait speed and chair-stand time improved significantly after 3 weeks of intermittent dosing [5]. In mild Alzheimer disease, cognitive and brain imaging outcomes did not differ from baseline after 12 weeks [6]. With quercetin alone, 26 older adults doing 6 weeks of resistance training on 200 mg a day of quercetin glycosides gained more knee extension force than on placebo (115.1% against 105.3% of baseline), with no change in muscle mass [7]. In 38 older adults, a single 500 mg dose before low or moderate intensity resistance exercise produced a larger drop in electrically elicited muscle torque afterward than placebo, and not at high intensity [8].
Population
14 adults with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [5]; 5 adults with early Alzheimer disease, mean age 76 [6]; healthy older adults [7][8].
Sources
[5], [6], [7], [8]
Caveats
The dasatinib plus quercetin studies were open-label with no placebo group, built to test feasibility [5][6]. The two quercetin-only trials are small and from one research group [7][8].

Claimed, not studied in people1

Untested

Longer life

Not studied in people. Fisetin given late in life lengthened mouse lifespan in one study but not in a multi-site program, and dasatinib plus quercetin extended survival in old mice.

No study in people. This rests on animal studies.

The numbers and sources
Effect
In wild-type mice given fisetin late in life, median and maximum lifespan rose, with less age-related tissue damage [14]. In the Interventions Testing Program, fisetin did not significantly change lifespan in either sex of genetically mixed mice at the dose and schedule used [15]. In old mice, intermittent dasatinib plus quercetin raised survival after treatment by 36% and cut the mortality hazard to 65% [16].
Population
Progeroid and aged wild-type mice [14]. UM-HET3 mice at three US sites [15]. Old mice and mice given transplanted senescent cells [16].
Sources
[14], [15], [16]
Caveats
Lifespan has not been measured in people. The mouse results for fisetin disagree [14][15]. Quercetin was tested with dasatinib, a cancer drug, not alone [16].

Doses studied

Dasatinib plus quercetin trials used dasatinib 100 mg with quercetin 1,000 mg [1][2] or 1,250 mg [5] a day for 3 consecutive days, given once [1] or repeated on intermittent schedules [2][5]. Quercetin trials pooled for blood pressure split at 500 mg a day [9]. Quercetin-only trials also used 500 mg twice a day around surgery [4], 200 mg a day of quercetin glycosides for 6 weeks [7] and a single 500 mg dose [8]. Fisetin trials used 200 mg a day for 12 weeks [11][12].

Risks

Reported risks2

LimitedVery common

Adverse effects with dasatinib plus quercetin

Small trials found more adverse events on dasatinib plus quercetin, 82% against 43% on placebo in one, all self-limiting.

The numbers and sources
How common
Very common: more than 1 in 10 people.
Effect
Adverse events occurred in 82% on dasatinib plus quercetin and 43% on placebo. All were self-limiting [2]. In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, one serious adverse event was reported. The most frequent other events were respiratory symptoms (16 events), skin irritation or bruising (14) and gastrointestinal discomfort (12) [5]. No serious adverse events occurred in the bone trial [13]. Across 6 human studies, reported events were generally mild or manageable [3].
Population
31 adults with MASH [2]; 14 adults with pulmonary fibrosis [5]; 60 postmenopausal women [13]; 6 studies [3].
Sources
[2], [5], [13], [3]
Caveats
Small samples and short follow-up limit the detection of uncommon or long-term harms [3].
LimitedHow often is not known

Fisetin or quercetin alone at senolytic doses

One trial found quercetin shifted inflammatory proteins in a pro-inflammatory direction in women after bypass surgery, and the opposite in men.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
In the coronary bypass trial, quercetin at 500 mg twice a day shifted circulating inflammatory proteins in a pro-inflammatory direction in women and increased inflammaging signatures in their artery fibroblasts, while men showed the opposite [4].
Population
97 patients, 19 of them women, treated from 2 days before surgery to hospital discharge [4].
Sources
[4]
Caveats
Exploratory analyses with few women. No trial of fisetin alone at senolytic doses was located.

Possible, not studied in people1

UntestedHow often is not known

Long-term use

Not studied in people over years. A US rat study reported cancer on long-term quercetin, a result not reproduced, and quercetin is mutagenic in a bacterial test.

No study in people. This rests on animal studies, lab studies.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
A 2005 review reports that quercetin is mutagenic in the Ames test in bacteria, that some animal studies, including one from the National Toxicology Program, reported a carcinogenic effect in F344 rats, that this result was not reproduced, and that most animal studies found no cancer effect. The review reports that IARC concluded in 1999 that quercetin is not classified as carcinogenic to humans [17]. A 2007 review of genotoxicity, short and long-term animal studies and human studies concluded that the evidence supports its addition to food [18].
Population
Bacterial tests, rats and other animals, reviewed [17][18].
Sources
[17], [18]
Caveats
No human trial of quercetin or fisetin lasting years was located, and no long-term animal data on fisetin. Human trials on this page ran for weeks to months.

Claims tested and not found

  1. That senolytics slow bone loss. In postmenopausal women, intermittent dasatinib plus quercetin did not change the bone resorption marker CTx at 20 weeks (median -4.1% against -7.7% on control) [13].
  2. That senolytics improve memory in Alzheimer disease. Cognitive and brain imaging outcomes did not change over 12 weeks in a 5-person open-label trial [6].

Sources

  1. Hickson LJ, Langhi Prata LGP, Bobart SA, et al. Senolytics decrease senescent cells in humans: Preliminary report from a clinical trial of Dasatinib plus Quercetin in individuals with diabetic kidney disease. EBioMedicine. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.08.069
  2. Koning M, Kovynev A, Fondevila MF, et al. Senolytics dasatinib and quercetin in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: a proof-of-principle randomized, controlled trial. Nature Metabolism. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-026-01643-4
  3. Trivedi H, Tripathi S, Thacker J, et al. Therapeutic reversal of cellular senescence: A systematic review of senolytics, senomorphics and anti-ageing therapies in human clinical trials. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1002/bcp.70871
  4. Mury P, Dagher O, Fortier A, et al. Quercetin Reduces Vascular Senescence and Inflammation in Symptomatic Male but Not Female Coronary Artery Disease Patients. Aging Cell. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.70108
  5. Justice JN, Nambiar AM, Tchkonia T, et al. Senolytics in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Results from a first-in-human, open-label, pilot study. EBioMedicine. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.12.052
  6. Gonzales MM, Garbarino VR, Kautz TF, et al. Senolytic therapy in mild Alzheimer's disease: a phase 1 feasibility trial. Nature Medicine. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02543-w
  7. Nishikawa T, Takeda R, Ueda S, et al. Quercetin ingestion alters motor unit behavior and enhances improvement in muscle strength following resistance training in older adults: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. European Journal of Nutrition. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-025-03634-9
  8. Nishikawa T, Takeda R, Karaki M, et al. Effects of quercetin ingestion on neuromuscular system following single session of resistance exercise at differing intensities in older adults. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2025-0169
  9. Serban MC, Sahebkar A, Zanchetti A, et al. Effects of Quercetin on Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.115.002713
  10. Jin D, Jin S, Zhou T, et al. Effects of Quercetin on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Food Science & Nutrition. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.71358
  11. Alipour M, Saeidi A, Hejazi K, et al. 12-weeks fisetin supplementation and interval resistance with aerobic training: changes in Maresin-1 and inflammatory markers in men with obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2026.2679718
  12. Alipour M, Saeidi A, Hejazi K, et al. The Effects of Interval Resistance-Aerobic Training and Fisetin Supplementation on Asprosin and Selected Adipokines in Obese Men: A Double-Blind Randomized Control Trial. Nutrients. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18030433
  13. Farr JN, Atkinson EJ, Achenbach SJ, et al. Effects of intermittent senolytic therapy on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women: a phase 2 randomized controlled trial. Nature Medicine. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03096-2
  14. Yousefzadeh MJ, Zhu Y, McGowan SJ, et al. Fisetin is a senotherapeutic that extends health and lifespan. EBioMedicine. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.09.015
  15. Harrison DE, Strong R, Reifsnyder P, et al. Astaxanthin and meclizine extend lifespan in UM-HET3 male mice; fisetin, SG1002 (hydrogen sulfide donor), dimethyl fumarate, mycophenolic acid, and 4-phenylbutyrate do not significantly affect lifespan in either sex at the doses and schedules used. GeroScience. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-01011-0
  16. Xu M, Pirtskhalava T, Farr JN, et al. Senolytics improve physical function and increase lifespan in old age. Nature Medicine. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-018-0092-9
  17. Okamoto T. Safety of quercetin for clinical application (review). International Journal of Molecular Medicine. 2005. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.16.2.275
  18. Harwood M, Danielewska-Nikiel B, Borzelleca JF, et al. A critical review of the data related to the safety of quercetin and lack of evidence of in vivo toxicity, including lack of genotoxic/carcinogenic properties. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2007.05.015

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