Aging: therapeutics for a healthy future
Robert Hodgson1, Brian K Kennedy2, Eliezer Masliah3
1Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA, United States; CNS Biology, Takeda, San Diego, CA, United States.
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|November 30, 2019
Summary
As lifespans increase, age-related disorders pose a significant challenge. Developing effective therapeutics for aging requires defining aging as a target, improving preclinical models, and ensuring successful clinical translation.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Pharmaceutical Science
- Neuroscience and Aging Research
Background:
- Increased lifespan has led to a rise in age-related disorders, posing a societal burden.
- Neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease highlight the need for aging therapeutics.
- Pathological aging encompasses a wide spectrum of neurological and peripheral conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the critical unmet need for therapeutics targeting aging and age-related disorders.
- To identify fundamental scientific and translational challenges in developing anti-aging treatments.
- To guide the field by outlining key issues and potential roadblocks in aging therapeutics research.
Main Methods:
- Defining aging as a specific therapeutic target.
- Developing and validating preclinical models for aging research.
- Investigating strategies for effective translation of preclinical findings to human clinical trials.
Main Results:
- The development of therapeutics for aging is a largely unexplored but crucial area.
- Significant scientific questions remain regarding the definition, modeling, and translation of aging therapies.
- Financial, regulatory, and clinical hurdles must be overcome to bring novel aging therapeutics to market.
Conclusions:
- Addressing the challenge of aging disorders requires a multi-faceted approach with diverse perspectives and collaborations.
- Overcoming current roadblocks is essential to meet the urgent need for effective aging and age-related disorder treatments.
- Successful development of aging therapeutics presents a significant opportunity to improve health in an aging global population.
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