Geroprotection

Geroprotection is defined as the "protection from the adverse effects of aging". A geroprotector is "any therapeutic agent that provides geroprotection".

Geroprotection refers to strategies and interventions aimed at delaying, preventing, or reversing age-related decline in health and function. This field encompasses a broad range of approaches, from lifestyle modifications to pharmaceutical interventions. Geroprotection operates through various biological mechanisms. These may include reducing oxidative stress, enhancing DNA repair, improving metabolic efficiency, modulating immune function, and regulating gene expression related to aging. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing effective geroprotectors.^[1]

Types of Geroprotectors

Geroprotectors can be classified into several categories based on their nature and mode of action. This includes:

Nutraceuticals: Natural food components with health benefits, such as antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables.
Pharmaceuticals: Drugs specifically designed to target aging-related pathways, like metformin.
Hormones and supplements: Substances that mimic or enhance hormonal functions, like melatonin or DHEA.

Research and Development

The field of geroprotection is rapidly evolving, with ongoing research into new potential geroprotectors. Clinical trials and animal studies are essential for assessing the efficacy and safety of these agents.

References

↑ Moskalev A et al.: Geroprotectors: A Unified Concept and Screening Approaches. Aging Dis 2017. (PMID 28580190) [PubMed] [DOI] [Full text] Although the geroprotectors discovery is a new biomedicine trend and more than 200 compounds can slow aging and increase the lifespan of the model organism, there are still no geroprotectors on the market. The reasons may be partly related to the lack of a unified concept of geroprotector, accepted by the scientific community. Such concept as a system of criteria for geroprotector identification and classification can form a basis for an analytical model of anti-aging drugs, help to consolidate the efforts of various research initiatives in this area and compare their results. Here, we review the existing classification and characteristics of geroprotectors based on their effect on the survival of a group of individuals or pharmaceutics classes, according to the proposed mechanism of their geroprotective action or theories of aging. After discussing advantages and disadvantages of these approaches, we offer a new concept based on the maintenance of homeostatic capacity because aging can be considered as exponential shrinkage of homeostatic capacity leading to the onset of age-related diseases and death. Besides, we review the most promising current screening approaches to finding new geroprotectors. Establishing the classification of existing geroprotectors based on physiology and current understanding of the nature of aging is essential for putting the existing knowledge into a single system. This system could be useful to formulate standards for finding and creating new geroprotectors. Standardization, in turn, would allow easier comparison and combination of experimental data obtained by different research groups.

[pmid28580190-1] Moskalev A et al.: Geroprotectors: A Unified Concept and Screening Approaches. Aging Dis 2017. (PMID 28580190) [PubMed] [DOI] [Full text] Although the geroprotectors discovery is a new biomedicine trend and more than 200 compounds can slow aging and increase the lifespan of the model organism, there are still no geroprotectors on the market. The reasons may be partly related to the lack of a unified concept of geroprotector, accepted by the scientific community. Such concept as a system of criteria for geroprotector identification and classification can form a basis for an analytical model of anti-aging drugs, help to consolidate the efforts of various research initiatives in this area and compare their results. Here, we review the existing classification and characteristics of geroprotectors based on their effect on the survival of a group of individuals or pharmaceutics classes, according to the proposed mechanism of their geroprotective action or theories of aging. After discussing advantages and disadvantages of these approaches, we offer a new concept based on the maintenance of homeostatic capacity because aging can be considered as exponential shrinkage of homeostatic capacity leading to the onset of age-related diseases and death. Besides, we review the most promising current screening approaches to finding new geroprotectors. Establishing the classification of existing geroprotectors based on physiology and current understanding of the nature of aging is essential for putting the existing knowledge into a single system. This system could be useful to formulate standards for finding and creating new geroprotectors. Standardization, in turn, would allow easier comparison and combination of experimental data obtained by different research groups.

[1]

Geroprotection

Contents

Types of Geroprotectors

Research and Development

See Also

References