Anti-Aging Strategies Based on Cellular Reprogramming

Abstract

Aging can be defined as the progressive decline in the ability of a cell or organism to resist stress and disease. Recent advances in cellular reprogramming technologies have enabled detailed analyses of the aging process, often involving cell types derived from aged individuals, or patients with premature aging syndromes. In this review we discuss how cellular reprogramming allows the recapitulation of aging in a dish, describing novel experimental approaches to investigate the aging process. Finally, we explore the role of epigenetic dysregulation as a driver of aging, discussing how epigenetic reprogramming may be harnessed to ameliorate aging hallmarks, both in vitro and in vivo. A better understanding of the reprogramming process may indeed assist the development of novel therapeutic strategies to extend a healthy lifespan.

Keywords: aging; epigenetics; rejuvenation; reprogramming.