Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

A systematic look at an old problem

Nature volume 451, pages 644–647 (2008)Cite this article

As life expectancy increases, a systems-biology approach is needed to ensure that we have a healthy old age.

The increase in human life expectancy over the past ten years has taken both scientists and the population generally by surprise. Until recently, demographers were confidently predicting that once the gains made by reducing mortality in early and middle life had reached completion, growth in longevity would stop and we would see the fixed reality of the ageing process. This has not happened1. In much of the developed world, life expectancy continues to increase at the rate of five or more hours per day; in some developing countries, which have some catching up to do, the rate is even faster.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Life expectancy around the world has increased steadily for nearly 200 years.
Figure 2: The mechanisms of ageing.

References

  1. Oeppen, J. & Vaupel, J. W. Science 296, 1029–1031 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kirkwood, T. B. L. et al. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 4, 243–249 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Peto, R. & Doll, R. Br. Med. J. 315, 1030–1032 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kirkwood, T. B. L. & Cremer, T. Hum. Genet. 60, 101–121 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kirkwood, T. B. L. & Austad, S. N. Nature 408, 233–238 (2000).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Murphy, C. T. et al. Nature 424, 277–284 (2003).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lee, S. S., Kennedy, S., Tolonen, A. C. & Ruvkun, G. Science 300, 644–647 (2003).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kirkwood, T. B. L. Cell 120, 437–447 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kirkwood, T. B. L. Nature 270, 301–304 (1977).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kitano, H. Mol. Systems Biol. 3, 137 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Finch, C. E. & Kirkwood, T. B. L. Chance, Development and Aging (Oxford Univ. Press. New York, 2000).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kapahi, P., Boulton, M. E. & Kirkwood, T. B. L. Free Rad. Biol. Med. 26, 495–500 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Andziak, B. et al. Aging Cell 5, 463–471 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Van Remmen, H. et al. Physiol. Genomics 16, 29–37 (2003).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Partridge, L. & Gems, D. Nature Rev. Genet. 3, 165–175 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Longo, V. D. & Kennedy, B. K. Cell 126, 257–268 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Riddle, D. L., Swanson, M. M. & Alberts, P. S. Nature 290, 668–671 (1981).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Shanley, D. P. & Kirkwood, T. B. L. Evolution 54, 740–750 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Shanley, D. P. & Kirkwood, T. B. L. Biogerontology 7, 165–168 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Herndon, L. A. et al. Nature 419, 808–814 (2002).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kirkwood, T. B. L. & Finch, C. E. Nature 419, 794–795 (2002).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Rea, S. L., Wu, D., Cypser, J. R., Vaupel, J. W. & Johnson, T. E. Nature Genet. 37, 894–898 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Esiri, M. M. et al. Lancet 357, 169–175 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Bender, A. et al. Nature Genet. 38, 515–517 (2006).

    Article  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kraytsberg, Y. et al. Nature Genet. 38, 518–520 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Niedernhofer, L. J. et al. Nature 444, 1038–1043 (2006).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tyner, S. D. et al. Nature 415, 45–53 (2002).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Campisi, J. & d'Adda di Fagagna, F. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 8, 729–740 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. http://symba.sf.net

  30. http://www.basis.ncl.ac.uk

  31. Sozou, P. D. & Kirkwood, T. B. L. J. Theoret. Biol. 213, 573–586 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Passos, J. et al. PLoS Biol. 5, e110 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The Centre for Integrated Systems Biology of Ageing and Nutrition is funded by the BBSRC and the EPSRC, with additional support from Unilever.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thomas B. L. Kirkwood is at the Centre for Integrated Systems Biology of Ageing and Nutrition, Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6BE, UK. tom.kirkwood@ncl.ac.uk ,

    Thomas B. L. Kirkwood

Authors
  1. Thomas B. L. Kirkwood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kirkwood, T. A systematic look at an old problem. Nature 451, 644–647 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/451644a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/451644a

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing