Despite major progress in ageing science, researchers hold vastly different views on its causes, definitions, onset, and reversibility. This diversity reveals a critical need for clearer shared understanding, as current disagreements may hinder the development of effective strategies to extend healthspan and tackle biological ageing more precisely.
December 2024 – PNAS Nexus
Key takeaways
- No shared definition of ageing: Researchers disagree on what ageing actually is, ranging from loss of function and accumulation of damage to systemic decline or developmental progression. These differing interpretations shape experimental priorities and interventions, highlighting a major obstacle for coordinated progress in targeting biological ageing and enhancing longevity
- Diverse beliefs on ageing’s causes: While damage accumulation is a popular theory, other explanations include dysregulation, genetic drift, programmed ageing, and evolutionary constraints. A significant number of experts even admit to not knowing. This broad spectrum of views underscores how unclear the root mechanisms of ageing remain, complicating unified approaches to prevention or reversal
- Rejuvenation is even more contested: There is even less agreement on what constitutes rejuvenation. While some see it as reducing biological age or damage, others define it as restoring youthful function or health. These conflicting views suggest uncertainty in how to measure, validate, or achieve true rejuvenation in humans
- The field lacks foundational consensus: No single question in the survey received majority agreement, even on whether consensus is necessary. This points to a fragmented field where even basic terms are poorly defined. Establishing shared language and conceptual clarity may be essential to developing effective longevity interventions and directing future research meaningfully
Read the article at: Gladyshev, Vadim N., et al. “Disagreement on Foundational Principles of Biological Aging.” PNAS Nexus, vol. 3, no. 12, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae499.