TY - JOUR
T1 - Lack of consensus on an aging biology paradigm? A global survey reveals an agreement to disagree, and the need for an interdisciplinary framework
AU - Cohen, Alan A.
AU - Kennedy, Brian K.
AU - Anglas, Ulrich
AU - Bronikowski, Anne M.
AU - Deelen, Joris
AU - Dufour, Frédérik
AU - Ferbeyre, Gerardo
AU - Ferrucci, Luigi
AU - Franceschi, Claudio
AU - Frasca, Daniela
AU - Friguet, Bertrand
AU - Gaudreau, Pierrette
AU - Gladyshev, Vadim N.
AU - Gonos, Efstathios S.
AU - Gorbunova, Vera
AU - Gut, Philipp
AU - Ivanchenko, Mikhail
AU - Legault, Véronique
AU - Lemaître, Jean François
AU - Liontis, Thomas
AU - Liu, Guang Hui
AU - Liu, Mingxin
AU - Maier, Andrea B.
AU - Nóbrega, Otávio T.
AU - Olde Rikkert, Marcel G.M.
AU - Pawelec, Graham
AU - Rheault, Sylvie
AU - Senior, Alistair M.
AU - Simm, Andreas
AU - Soo, Sonja
AU - Traa, Annika
AU - Ukraintseva, Svetlana
AU - Vanhaelen, Quentin
AU - Van Raamsdonk, Jeremy M.
AU - Witkowski, Jacek M.
AU - Yashin, Anatoliy I.
AU - Ziman, Robert
AU - Fülöp, Tamàs
PY - 2020/10
Y1 - 2020/10
N2 - At a recent symposium on aging biology, a debate was held as to whether or not we know what biological aging is. Most of the participants were struck not only by the lack of consensus on this core question, but also on many basic tenets of the field. Accordingly, we undertook a systematic survey of our 71 participants on key questions that were raised during the debate and symposium, eliciting 37 responses. The results confirmed the impression from the symposium: there is marked disagreement on the most fundamental questions in the field, and little consensus on anything other than the heterogeneous nature of aging processes. Areas of major disagreement included what participants viewed as the essence of aging, when it begins, whether aging is programmed or not, whether we currently have a good understanding of aging mechanisms, whether aging is or will be quantifiable, whether aging will be treatable, and whether many non-aging species exist. These disagreements lay bare the urgent need for a more unified and cross-disciplinary paradigm in the biology of aging that will clarify both areas of agreement and disagreement, allowing research to proceed more efficiently. We suggest directions to encourage the emergence of such a paradigm.
AB - At a recent symposium on aging biology, a debate was held as to whether or not we know what biological aging is. Most of the participants were struck not only by the lack of consensus on this core question, but also on many basic tenets of the field. Accordingly, we undertook a systematic survey of our 71 participants on key questions that were raised during the debate and symposium, eliciting 37 responses. The results confirmed the impression from the symposium: there is marked disagreement on the most fundamental questions in the field, and little consensus on anything other than the heterogeneous nature of aging processes. Areas of major disagreement included what participants viewed as the essence of aging, when it begins, whether aging is programmed or not, whether we currently have a good understanding of aging mechanisms, whether aging is or will be quantifiable, whether aging will be treatable, and whether many non-aging species exist. These disagreements lay bare the urgent need for a more unified and cross-disciplinary paradigm in the biology of aging that will clarify both areas of agreement and disagreement, allowing research to proceed more efficiently. We suggest directions to encourage the emergence of such a paradigm.
KW - Aged
KW - Aging
KW - Aging interventions
KW - Aging mechanisms
KW - Aging paradigm
KW - Biology of aging
KW - Epidemiology of aging
KW - Evolution of aging
KW - Philosophy of science
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089945416&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85089945416&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111316
DO - 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111316
M3 - Article
C2 - 32693105
AN - SCOPUS:85089945416
SN - 0047-6374
VL - 191
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
JF - Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
M1 - 111316
ER -