Molecular Advances in Mechanism and Regulation of Lifespan and Aging

Aging is an important unsolved problem in biology. It is also by far the most significant risk factor for many major human diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. As medical advances extend the average lifespan, the already large public health significance of these aging-related diseases will only continue to grow. Many recent studies have uncovered genes, pathways, and interventions that can have dramatic effects on aging in laboratory models, most of which suggest that their underlying biology may be conserved in humans.

This Reprint highlights some recent advances that have been made in this field that deepen our understanding of genes, pathways, and interventions that alter aging. It also aims to highlight findings that shed light on aging-related biology that has the potential for translation to a human clinical setting, whether in the context of specific aging-related human diseases or of aging itself.