Drugs that forestall aging - extending healthspan

Aging research has developed dramatically over the last two decades. Researchers have identified genetic pathways that modulate aging in model organisms including yeast, worms, flies and mice. More importantly, when these pathways are altered appropriately, animals not only live longer but are generally healthy longer and protected from disease. This raises the possibility that small molecules have the potential to extend human healthspan, putting the health back in healthcare. Researchers have followed up these genetic findings by searching for and finding such molecules, including rapamycin, metformin and even NSAIDs. Some of these are being tested for their ability to slow or reverse aspects of aging in healthy elders. Here, I describe the latest findings with small molecules and aging, emphasizing the likely successful strategies to extending healthspan based on current knowledge in the aging research field