Aging and Immortality: Quasi-Programmed Senescence and Its Pharmacologic Inhibition

The document from 2006 by Mikhail V. Blagosklonny presents the concept of quasi-programmed senescence, proposing that aging is not a programmed process but an extension of development that fails to shut down, leading to hyper-function and damage that results in age-related diseases. It highlights the TOR (target of rapamycin) pathway as a key player in cell senescence and organism aging, suggesting that pharmacological inhibition of this pathway with drugs like rapamycin could slow aging and prevent diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. The review also connects conditions like male pattern baldness and benign prostatic hyperplasia to excessive cellular stimulation, and suggests that interventions targeting the TOR pathway could increase longevity and cure or prevent major aging-related diseases. Evidence from various organisms supports the idea that caloric restriction and mutations that inhibit the TOR pathway can extend lifespan, and the document concludes that rapamycin, already used clinically, could potentially delay aging and reduce the incidence of age-associated diseases.