Aging affects us all, but we still do not know how the process evolves or if we can modulate its pace. This issue of PLOS Biology presents…
Biology & Life Sciences
Aging: from cellular mechanisms to organismal physiology
We all grow older and are affected by age-related declines in health and cognitive function. In recent years, large investments have been made in aging research to identify interventions that slow down the process or even try to reverse it; however, no potential anti-aging solutions have yet emerged that have had a significant impact. As we reach the halfway point in the UN Decade of Healthy Aging, the time seems ripe to look at what we know about the biological processes that underlie aging and how they could be harnessed in the future.
This collection of articles explores different aspects of the aging process, highlighting the research underpinning our current knowledge and looking towards the future of the field. Articles cover topics including rejuvenation, aging across the life course, the influence of sex and aging on the immune system, the aging microbiome, ovarian aging, stem cells in the aging brain, and medical advances in longevity.
Image Credit: The Three Ages of Woman by Gustav Klimt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons
Collection Papers
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Image creditCells Human Medical by Arek Socha, Pixabay LicensePLOS Biology Do you want to live forever? Lessons learned from the biology of aging
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PLOS Biology Beyond survival: Redefining successful aging in the era of medical complexity
A common misconception is that increasing longevity reflects slower aging. Instead, most longevity gain comes from medical advances that…
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Image creditCells Human Medical by Arek Socha, Pixabay LicensePLOS Biology Harnessing the stem cell potential in the human hippocampus to limit cognitive aging
The field of human adult neurogenesis has been controversial despite mounting evidence. The authors propose moving beyond debating the…
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Image creditMedicine, Biology, Healthcare by PublicDomainPictures, Pixabay LicensePLOS Biology Beyond reproduction: The ovary as a systemic regulator of female health and aging
Classifying ovaries solely as reproductive organs has obscured their role as systemic regulators of female physiology. This Perspective…
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PLOS Biology The problem with one-size-fits-all medicine: Biological sex and the aging immune system
Aging has effects on the immune system that are similar in men and women, but also reshapes their immune systems in unique, sex-specific…
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PLOS Biology Remembrance of things past: Towards a life-course biology of aging
Globally, the growing proportion of older individuals is imposing personal and societal costs. However, interventions that slow aging are…
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PLOS Biology From germline immortality to somatic rejuvenation: Unlocking the ovarian blueprint for longevity
Aging is typically framed as a one-way, irreversible accumulation of molecular damage in cells and tissues, leading to progressive…
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PLOS Biology Immune surveillance and microbial escape in the aging host: Why does the microbiome lose its balance?
Host-associated microbiomes are compositionally stable across most of the life span, yet undergo consistent and marked deterioration…
Editors
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Academic Editor, PLOS Biology William Mair
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Senior Editor, PLOS Biology Ines Alvarez-Garcia
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Front Section Senior Editor, PLOS Biology Joanna Clarke