Pitfalls of animal model systems in ageing research

Often, reports of anti-ageing research using animal models are overly optimistic and incomplete. Without having the details of the study (issues inherent with the animal models, the condition of the animal colony, the replicability of the findings, for example), even the educated public can find it difficult to interpret the reports accurately. This chapter provides background information about ageing research and animal models in general and arms readers with guidelines they can use to assist them when analyzing reports of ageing research using those models. The article also uses the guidelines to briefly evaluate three anti-ageing treatment candidates: one in the very early stages of testing (resveratrol), one that has been proven unfounded as an anti-ageing intervention by testing [dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)] and one that has undergone testing successfully (l-deprenyl).