Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Surveying Low-Cost Methods to Measure Lifespan and Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans
10:08

Surveying Low-Cost Methods to Measure Lifespan and Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: May 18, 2022

Answering the ultimate question "what is the proximal cause of aging?"

Mikhail V Blagosklonny1

  • 1Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, BLSC, L3-312, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. blagosklonny@oncotarget.com

Aging
|February 22, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Aging may not stem from accumulated damage but from a quasi-programmed hyperfunction. This theory, supported by drug trials in animals, challenges conventional aging research and suggests a new understanding of age-related diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biomedical Science

Background:

  • Conventional theories posit aging results from accumulated molecular damage.
  • Emerging research challenges this, suggesting alternative aging drivers.
  • The link between aging and age-related diseases is well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present and support the quasi-programmed hyperfunction theory of aging.
  • To address arguments against this new theory.
  • To explore the potential role of molecular damage in aging.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of recent aging research findings.
  • Analysis of predictions from the quasi-programmed hyperfunction theory.
  • Discussion of counterarguments and their implications for the theory.

Main Results:

  • Some predictions of the quasi-programmed hyperfunction theory have been experimentally confirmed.
  • A clinically available drug has demonstrated efficacy in slowing aging and delaying diseases in animal models.
  • Arguments against the theory were found to indirectly support it.

Conclusions:

  • The quasi-programmed hyperfunction theory offers a novel framework for understanding aging.
  • The theory's implications for age-related diseases warrant further investigation.
  • The precise role of molecular damage in this new aging paradigm requires continued study.

More Related Videos

A Suppressor Screen for the Characterization of Genetic Links Regulating Chronological Lifespan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae10:39

A Suppressor Screen for the Characterization of Genetic Links Regulating Chronological Lifespan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Published on: September 17, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Aging01:26

Aging

Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Mitochondria01:37

Mitochondria

Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
The Effect of Aging on Tissues01:19

The Effect of Aging on Tissues

Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
Replication in Eukaryotes01:29

Replication in Eukaryotes

In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication is highly conserved and tightly regulated. Multiple linear chromosomes must be duplicated with high fidelity before cell division, so there are many proteins that fulfill specialized roles in the replication process. Replication occurs in three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination, and ends with two complete sets of chromosomes in the nucleus.
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...
Replication in Eukaryotes02:31

Replication in Eukaryotes

Overview
Replicative Cell Senescence02:15

Replicative Cell Senescence

Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds the telomeric...