Why do we age: the hallmarks of ageing
Only a few processes are responsible for ageing
Scientists have identified five basic mechanisms that cause us to age. They refer to these processes as the primary hallmarks of ageing.
What all these hallmarks have in common is that they occur during normal ageing. If they accelerate, they cause us to age faster. However, if we intervene therapeutically and "improve" them, ageing can be slowed down, halted or even reversed.
Ageing research seeks to understand the hallmarks of ageing
We need to closely examine the primary hallmarks of ageing to understand ageing from the ground up. This will allow us to intervene early in the ageing process before age-related diseases break out. The hope is that this will extend the amount of time we spend in good health and allow us to age healthily.
Our research aims to decipher the primary hallmarks of ageing and thereby promote healthy ageing.
Hallmarks of ageing: overview of the various main characteristics of ageing. The primary hallmarks of ageing are shown in red. Image credit: IMB/CHA. Redrawn from López-Otin et al., Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe, Cell (2023).