Mechanisms causing aging, current knowledge and the way forward

Abstract

The rapid advancement in research technologies and bioinformatics over the past few decades has enabled researchers to shed light on the underlying mechanisms behind aging. Whilst the progress in understanding the biochemical processes involved is impressive, a lot more still needs to be uncovered before any potential effective anti-aging treatment can be produced. Unravelling the various root causes of aging is still the most important obstacle to overcome. The data available highlights that the most likely drivers of aging are the proteosome, the ribosome and telomeres. This review focuses largely on these factors and how they contribute to initiating aging and their targeting in potential therapy against the multitude of age-associated disorders. The investigation thus far of these causative factors will be presented. Understanding these root causes and how they cause aging is fundamental to present a way forward, such that the biochemical basis of aging can be discovered, in order to usher in a new wave of therapeutics against complex diseases.