Editor's Summary
28 August 2008
The human lifespan: how far can you go?
Research on lab organisms such as yeast, worms and mice has encouraged the notion that lifespan is plastic, something to be manipulated genetically, with drugs or by nutritional fine-tuning. The big question is how — or whether — this work translates to the human condition. In a review, Jan Vijg and Judith Campisi discuss current knowledge about factors that limit human lifespan. They conclude that it is too early to say whether it is feasible to postpone human ageing and natural death for many decades. And they outline questions that future research needs to answer if we are to develop integrated strategies capable of increasing human health and lifespan.
Review: Puzzles, promises and a cure for ageing
Jan Vijg & Judith Campisi
doi:10.1038/nature07216
