Decoding Biological Age: Emerging Insights, Persistent Challenges, and Our Journey Toward De-Development or Reliable Aging Biomarkers

TL;DR

This paper discusses the challenges and progress in developing reliable biological age biomarkers to better assess health and aging.

Contribution

The paper presents collaborative efforts to define and standardize aging biomarkers, focusing on immune aging as a case study.

Findings

Emerging insights are reshaping our understanding of aging processes.

Technical and conceptual barriers hinder biomarker validation and standardization.

Clinical immune aging biomarkers are being explored for real-world applications.

Abstract

Biological age provides a more accurate measure of healthspan and disease risk than chronological age, yet the development of robust and clinically actionable biomarkers remains an ongoing challenge. In this presentation, I will outline emerging insights that are reshaping our understanding of the aging process, while highlighting the persistent technical and conceptual barriers that hinder biomarker validation and standardization. Drawing on work from the Biomarkers of Aging Consortium, I will share our collaborative efforts to define, benchmark, and harmonize key readouts of biological age, with a particular focus on clinical immune aging biomarkers as a case study for translating discovery into real-world applications.