Aging and death have long been topics that only philosophers, hypochondriacs, and charlatans were happy to dwell on. But in recent years, this eternal yet unwelcomed subject has drawn growing interest from scientists and business figures alike — driven, above all, by the rise of AI, which has called into question the assumption that aging, as we know it, is simply the natural order of things. Aging is now understood as a set of measurable processes: the accumulation of cellular damage, regulatory failures, and the gradual erosion of the body’s systemic resilience. And if that’s the case, it can be significantly slowed down.
This article concludes our series on the Hallmarks of Aging and on the ways science may be able to influence them. Earlier in the series, we introduced the topic in an overview of the rejuvenation field, and then explored specific mechanisms in articles on genetic and epigenetic changes, protein quality control, mitochondria, and cellular senescence, and autophagy, metabolism, and stem cells. Here we focus on the final three: altered intercellular communication, chronic low-grade inflammation, and dysbiosis.
We continue to explore the causes of aging in the body, known as the hallmarks of aging, and how humanity can already influence them today in an attempt to achieve rejuvenation. Earlier, we looked at the general concept of the hallmarks of aging, as well as what can already be done about aging-related causes connected with DNA damage, telomere shortening, and epigenetic alterations, and loss of protein quality control, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular senescence.
In May 2026, Las Vegas is set to host the inaugural Enhanced Games — a competition its organizers pitch as an alternative to traditional sports. The concept is as simple as it is explosive: athletes will be permitted to compete using substances and methods banned under anti-doping rules, but, according to the project’s creators, under medical supervision and in a fully transparent framework. The official website lists May 24, 2026 as the opening date. The program includes swimming, athletics, and weightlifting.
Japan has conditionally approved two regenerative therapies based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). This marks the world’s first commercial use of this technology in treating Parkinson’s disease and severe heart failure.
During a federal court hearing in Boston, a lawyer for the US Department of Justice argued that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has such broad authority over vaccination policy that his decisions – even potentially controversial ones – may be largely beyond judicial review. The case concerns a lawsuit filed by medical organizations challenging recent changes to federal vaccination recommendations.
Aging had long appeared to be a slow wear and tear of everything at once. As we previously mentioned, it is increasingly described today as a set of specific malfunctions that can be measured and partly corrected in animal experiments. This article looks at what can already be done about aging associated with such hallmarks as protein quality control, mitochondrial function (the cell’s power plants), and the accumulation of senescent cells – those that have stopped dividing and functioning for the benefit of the organism yet continue to damage the surrounding environment. These processes reinforce one another.
Have you ever heard a doctor say something like: “Didn’t this help you at all? Hmm. Ok, let’s try these pills instead”? How does it feel to be a lab rat? Of course it’s not human experimentation — but what if you could get the right therapy without all that trial and error? Imagine your doctor had an exact copy of you to test all their ideas on — not on you. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? Today, this isn’t entirely science fiction. You can give your doctor a digital twin to experiment on.
Robot-assisted surgery is still perceived as “the future is here,” a hallmark of high-tech medicine, and is on the verge of becoming routine practice. In eye microsurgery, where microscopic precision of movements is critical, robotic surgical assistants are often indispensable. But now Chinese medical researchers have developed and begun testing a robot capable of performing intraocular surgeries autonomously. Soon, we may face a situation where the human surgeon doesn’t control the robot-surgeon at all, but simply observes. Who will bear responsibility for the surgical outcome? Isn’t the risk too high?
Most age-related diseases — from cancer to neurodegeneration — connect back to one core problem: over time, cells get worse at storing their DNA safely and using it correctly. In the “Hallmarks of Aging” framework(which we discussed here), researchers highlight three aging processes that sit right on top of our genetic material: DNA damage, telomere shortening, and epigenetic drift, when the settings that control gene activity get noisy.