Possible Interventions to Modify Aging

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Giacinto Libertini^* and Nicola Ferrara

Federico II University, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, 80138 Naples, Italy; E-mail: giacinto.libertini@tin.it

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received May 25, 2016; Revision received July 25, 2016

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The programmed aging paradigm interprets aging as a function favored by natural selection at a supra-individual level. This function is implemented, according to the telomere theory, through mechanisms that operate through the subtelomere–telomere–telomerase system. After reviewing some necessary technical and ethical reservations and providing a concise description of aging mechanisms, this work considers interventions that could lead to the control of some highly disabling characteristics of aging, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s syndromes and age-related macular degeneration, and afterwards to a full control of aging up to a condition equivalent to that of the species defined as “with negligible senescence”. The various steps needed for the development of such interventions are described along general lines.

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KEY WORDS: aging, programmed aging paradigm, Alzheimer, Parkinson, telomere, subtelomere

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297916120038

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