title: Aging biology: a new frontier for drug discovery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of age-related pathologies, such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease and diabetes type II, has increased dramatically with the rising average age of populations. Antiaging molecules and appropriate animal models need to be developed to prevent and or delay alterations that occur during aging and are manifested as age-associated illnesses.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review covers the main experimental models used in aging research, from invertebrates up to nonhuman primates. The authors discuss studies of the biochemical pathways involved in dietary restriction, which has been associated with life span extension. The authors also describe the implications of sirtuin 1, insulin growth factor, mTOR (the mammalian target of rapamycin) and AMPK activation, which are well-characterized antiaging pathways. All these pathways are highly conserved from invertebrates to nonhuman primates. Although some invertebrate models are used to study the antiaging properties of drugs, mice models and nonhuman primates are more suitable, as the study of changes in memory loss is critical. The review highlights the conservation of the aging pathways between species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies on aging should focus on two ways: i) improving animal models, for example, the genetically heterogeneous mice and ii) drug research. It is almost impossible to evaluate clinically the efficacy of antiaging drugs. Moreover, caloric restriction currently constitutes the most effective antiaging pathway. Thus, the strategy is to study drugs for aging-associated diseases, such as diabetes, that also have antiaging effects.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Farmacologia i Farmacognòsia Facultat de Farmàcia, Institut de Biomedicina, Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Universitat de Barcelona, Nucli Universitari de Pedralbes, Spain.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verdaguer
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Junyent
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Folch
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beas-Zarate
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auladell
authors.forename: Mercè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pallàs
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camins
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015195:Drug Design; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D011323:Primates; D013045:Species Specificity