Game changer: Navigating between challenges and hopes in geropharmacology

The aging population is expanding rapidly to reshape the social and economic structures. Aging signifies the close to the end of life and threatens health because it features unavoidable compression of body reserve and gradual suppression of organ function. Tremendous research has established twelve essential aging hallmarks that shed light on mitigation frameworks. Interestingly, aging harbors inherent heterogeneity and plasticity, reflecting its multifaceted nature. Additionally, age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, often undergo the exact mechanisms with more devastating damage and speed. Therefore, interventions to promote healthy aging improve life quality and delay the disease’s prevalence to later age. Clinical studies in humans have demonstrated the potential of several interventions, including lifestyle modifications, NAD⁺ supplementation, gut microbiota modulation, antidiabetic drugs (e.g., metformin), rapamycin, and senolytics, to mitigate the aging process and delay the onset of age-related diseases. Remarkably, clinical trials exhibit heterogeneity by showing substantial inter-individual differences in response to the interventions. It is often attributed to basal health status, tissue senescent burden, and immunity level. Continuous research would validate these correlations and solidify the personalized approaches. Lastly, generative artificial intelligence can pave a promising avenue to revolutionize anti-aging research and tailor aging management to promote healthy aging and extend health span.