Aging biology: a new frontier for drug discovery

The prevalence of age-related pathologies, such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease and diabetes type II, has increased dramatically with the rising average age of populations. Antiaging molecules and appropriate animal models need to be developed to prevent and or delay alterations that occur during aging and are manifested as age-associated illnesses.

This review covers the main experimental models used in aging research, from invertebrates up to nonhuman primates. The authors discuss studies of the biochemical pathways involved in dietary restriction, which has been associated with life span extension. The authors also describe the implications of sirtuin 1, insulin growth factor, mTOR (the mammalian target of rapamycin) and AMPK activation, which are well-characterized antiaging pathways. All these pathways are highly conserved from invertebrates to nonhuman primates. Although some invertebrate models are used to study the antiaging properties of drugs, mice models and nonhuman primates are more suitable, as the study of changes in memory loss is critical. The review highlights the conservation of the aging pathways between species.

Further studies on aging should focus on two ways: i) improving animal models, for example, the genetically heterogeneous mice and ii) drug research. It is almost impossible to evaluate clinically the efficacy of antiaging drugs. Moreover, caloric restriction currently constitutes the most effective antiaging pathway. Thus, the strategy is to study drugs for aging-associated diseases, such as diabetes, that also have antiaging effects.