Geroscience

Abstract

Geroscience is an emerging discipline that examines the relationship between biological mechanisms of aging across different species with the goal of understanding the molecular and cellular pathways underlying age-related diseases. Geroscience is based upon finding connections between the so called "hallmarks of aging", a term that refers to stress adaptation, epigenetics, inflammation, macromolecular damage, metabolism, proteostasis, stem cells and regeneration as well as nutrient sensing to elucidate processes damaged in chronic diseases highly prevalent in older people. In this chapter, we tried to explain the origins of Geroscience, its relevance to the study of aging and its connection to disease, as well as to emphasize specific experimental findings that resulted from studies of animal models focused in replicating the physiopathological features of age-related diseases such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, sarcopenia and osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and frailty. Finally, we discussed some potential biomarkers suggested to improve the diagnosis or accelerate the identification of therapeutic targets in order to minimize the negative impact of chronic diseases during aging.