Science 101: Aging

Aging is not a disease. It cannot be prevented, stopped or reversed.

It is driven, fundamentally, by the inexorable biology of senescence, which dictates that each multicellular organism, using energy from the sun, is able to develop and maintain its identity for only so long. Then deterioration prevails over synthesis, and the organism ages. Entropy always wins.

But there is much we can learn about the aging process, and how it might be tweaked, modified or repaired to extend healthy lifespans. These efforts range from longitudinal studies of the extremely old, their lifestyles, diets and behaviors to understanding basic cellular mechanisms.

Aging

Research at Sanford Burnham Prebys

Aug 22, 2024
The secret to sleepy cells’ control of inflammatory secretions
Scientists have described a new connection between inflammation linked to aging and a protein involved in storing DNA.
Aug 22, 2024
Jan 3, 2024
New roles for autophagy genes in cellular waste management and aging
Autophagy genes help extrude protein aggregates from neurons in the nematode C. elegans.
Jan 3, 2024
Oct 11, 2023
Inhibiting an enzyme associated with aging could help damaged nerves regrow and restore strength
New research has demonstrated a way to accelerate recovery from peripheral nerve injury by targeting an enzyme that was thought…
Oct 11, 2023
Feb 13, 2024
With the help of naked mole rats, Xiao Tian seeks to expose and explain the epigenetic drivers of aging
Getting older is inevitable, but aging may be optional, or at least a treatable condition. Increasingly, researchers are parsing the…
Feb 13, 2024
Jul 21, 2023
José Luis Millán joins international initiative to study calcification in aging
José Luis Millán, PhD, has joined a five-year, $13 million program that will study misplaced calcification in the eyes and…
Jul 21, 2023
Feb 18, 2020
A deep dive into cellular aging
Discovery could lead to treatments that promote healthy aging or prevent age-associated diseases.
Feb 18, 2020