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Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18e
Chapter 71. The Biology of Aging
Sections: The Biology of Aging: Introduction, Further Readings.
Topics Discussed: aging; aging, biological.
Excerpt:"Thanks largely to the power of genetic analysis in model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans (a nematode), Drosophila melanogaster (a fruit fly), and the laboratory mouse, major advances have been made in the elucidation of what can be termed "public" modulations of intrinsic biological aging—that is to say, commonalities of gene actions across widely diverse phyla that explain, in part, the plasticity of processes of aging. There are hints that at least one such conserved pathway may be operative in our own species. These observations, together with related research on other biochemical pathways, a long history of research on the beneficial effects of dietary restriction (most recently including an initial report of its beneficial effects on healthspan and lifespan in a primate) (Fig. 71-1), and spectacular advances in genomics raise the possibility that we may one day be able to delay the times of onset and decrease the rates of progression of aging processes. Such interventions have the potential to extend the healthspans and, therefore, the functional lifespans of a large proportion of our population. This new knowledge, however, is still very distant from clinical translation. Many remain skeptical of the relevance of these experimental findings. Moreover,..."
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