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Ageing

Out with the old

Nature volume 530, pages 164–165 (2016)Cite this article

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The selective elimination of cells that have adopted an irreversible, senescent state has now been shown to extend the lifespan of mice and to ameliorate some age-related disease processes. See Article p.184

The ability to fight the ageing process has been a long-held human desire. Although this quest often seems to be driven by vanity, ageing is the major risk factor for many of the diseases that plague modern society. More than 50 years ago, it was suggested that ageing is linked to a state of arrested cell growth known as senescence1, but this link has remained unproven, and the molecular basis for organismal ageing has been elusive. In this issue, Baker et al.2 (page 184) demonstrate that the removal of senescent cells does indeed delay ageing and increase healthy lifespan (healthspan).

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Figure 1: Improving healthspan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jesús Gil and Dominic J. Withers are at the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London W12 0NN, UK.,

    Jesús Gil & Dominic J. Withers

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  1. Jesús Gil
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  2. Dominic J. Withers
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Correspondence to Dominic J. Withers.

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Gil, J., Withers, D. Out with the old. Nature 530, 164–165 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature16875

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