Compared to the issues that come with, say, a failing liver, skin aging can look like more of a vanity problem. But aging in both tissues, and multiple others, is driven by the same underlying molecular mechanisms. One of those mechanisms is fibrosis, the cross-linking of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that leads to tissue stiffening. Anti-aging company Cambrian Biopharma Inc. has argued that stiffening of the ECM should be considered one of the formal hallmarks of aging.

The first in vivo cell atlas of senescent tissue in skeletal muscle has identified the damaging properties of these cells and explained why they block muscle regeneration. According to a study at Pompeu Fabra University led by scientists from Altos Labs Inc., cell damage caused the senescence of the cells, which secreted toxic substances into the surrounding microenvironment, causing fibrosis and preventing tissue regeneration.

By independently manipulating the lifespan of worms and one of its purported biomarkers, namely, the cessation of vigorous movement (CVM), investigators at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have demonstrated that the two are driven by partly independent processes.

Scientists have discovered an RNA-based mechanism that is involved in core hallmarks of a number of accelerated aging conditions and shown that therapies targeting this RNA reverses some of these hallmarks in human cells and extend life spans in mouse models.

Sequence analysis of 131 human brains has revealed the mutagenesis processes that take place throughout life, from development to senescence. In a new study published in the July 29, 2022, issue of Science, the authors described how high rates of brain somatic mutations (what they call hypermutability) correlated with age.

In this multipart special report, BioWorld explores the concept of extending lifespan, which is surprisingly well-validated by basic research. The team examined the latest science, the key biological drivers that can be targeted pharmacologically and the companies developing these potential “Fountain of Youth” candidate drugs.

There is no drug that will halt the inevitable process of getting older each year. But biopharmaceutical research can have a positive impact on preventing diseases that come with aging, thereby extending life for the masses, and more importantly, extending quality of life. Part one of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan looks at the increasing development and investment in the space.

To most people, trying to prevent aging seems like a dream – maybe a pipe dream, in fact. But a dream for sure. To aging researchers, it seems like common sense. And if animal studies are any indication, maybe not that hard, either. Part two of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan looks at the potential of anti-aging medicine.

Aging is surprisingly dichotomous. Genetic studies suggest that in fruit flies and mice, the gene sets that affect male and female longevity are mostly distinct. And a lopsided amount of what’s known about aging comes from the study of – wait for it – males. Read part three of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan.