Potential Noninvasive Biomarkers to Assess the Aging Process

TL;DR

This paper reviews potential noninvasive biomarkers that could help assess and monitor the aging process in humans.

Contribution

The paper identifies and summarizes noninvasive biomarkers for aging that could be used in clinical practice.

Findings

Several cellular processes are linked to aging and can serve as potential biomarkers.

Noninvasive biomarkers are needed to monitor aging and improve quality of life.

A combination of biomarkers may be necessary for accurate aging assessment.

Abstract

Aging is a process preserved in all living beings, progressive over time and inexorable. Despite the existence of several theories that attempt to explain changes associated with aging, scientists have not managed to satisfactorily explain the causes of aging. However, during the last decade, several cellular processes involved in the aging process have been shown to be involved, allowing scientists to identify new biomolecules as aging biomarkers and control the progression of aging. Currently, there is no single biomarker sensitive and specific enough to predict aging, so it is necessary to find a set of specific biomarkers of cellular processes involved in aging. These biomarkers must be accessible for quantification in biological samples in a noninvasive way to implement them in clinical practice. By 2050, it is estimated that approximately one in six people in the world will be over 65 years old, doubling the percentage of population over 60 years old. Therefore, the research of new biomarkers represents a novel strategy to counteract against aging and improve quality of life. In this review we summarize the potential biomarkers of aging that could be used in a noninvasive manner.

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