Rewinding the Clock: Emerging Pharmacological Strategies for Human Anti-Aging Therapy

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Aging Biology
• Pharmacology
• Biomedical Sciences

Background:

• Aging is a complex process involving physiological decline and increased disease risk.
• Nine key hallmarks of aging, including genomic instability and cellular senescence, are identified.
• These hallmarks offer a framework for developing interventions to improve healthspan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing and emerging pharmacotherapeutic interventions targeting aging hallmarks.
• To classify these interventions and assess their mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical potential.
• To examine the current clinical landscape, ongoing trials, and challenges in gerotherapeutic development.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of pharmacotherapeutic strategies for aging.
• Classification of interventions into categories: senolytics, senomorphics, NAD+ precursors, mTOR inhibitors, and metabolic modifiers.
• Analysis of preclinical evidence, clinical trial data, and identified obstacles.

Main Results:

• Pharmacotherapeutic strategies are categorized based on their targeting of aging hallmarks.
• Preclinical and clinical evidence for efficacy is reviewed for various interventions.
• Key challenges including biomarker identification, safety, and regulatory hurdles are identified.

Conclusions:

• Targeting aging biology through a mechanism-focused approach holds promise for gerotherapeutics.
• Developing interventions to enhance healthspan requires addressing safety and regulatory challenges.
• Future research should focus on collective, mechanism-based strategies for therapeutic aging interventions.