Cited by 14,982Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsTelomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceAutophagy in Disease and Therapy

The Hallmarks of Aging

Open access
López-Otín, Carlos, Blasco, Maria A., Partridge, Linda, Serrano, Manuel, Kroemer, Guido·2013·Cell

Abstract

Aging is characterized by a progressive loss of physiological integrity, leading to impaired function and increased vulnerability to death. This deterioration is the primary risk factor for major human pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. Aging research has experienced an unprecedented advance over recent years, particularly with the discovery that the rate of aging is controlled, at least to some extent, by genetic pathways and biochemical processes conserved in evolution. This Review enumerates nine tentative hallmarks that represent common denominators of aging in different organisms, with special emphasis on mammalian aging. These hallmarks are: genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication. A major challenge is to dissect the interconnectedness between the candidate hallmarks and their relative contributions to aging, with the final goal of identifying pharmaceutical targets to improve human health during aging, with minimal side effects.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2013.05.039

Cites

303 of 303 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Aging leads to dysfunctional mitochondria with defective mitophagy and bioenergetics, producing excess free radicals that damage the cellular environment.

    “As we age, mitochondria become increasingly dysfunctional, with defective mitophagy and bioenergetic capabilities which end up producing excess free radicals inside the cell, damaging the global cellular environment [101].”

    From NAD+ Precursors Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR): Potential Dietary Contribution to Health (2023) · cites this paper as [101]

    The Mitochondrial Dysfunction section describes declining respiratory-chain efficiency with age, and its Mitochondrial integrity and biogenesis subsection identifies defective mitophagy as a cause of impaired bioenergetics. The Reactive oxygen species subsection says ROS levels can rise with age and eventually aggravate cellular damage. But the paper does not present excess ROS as an inevitable result of mitochondrial dysfunction: its Genomic Instability > Mitochondrial DNA subsection reports impaired mitochondrial function without increased ROS production. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Accumulated DNA damage in chromosomal regions leads to progressive and cumulative loss of protective telomere sequences at chromosome ends.

    “In addition, accumulated DNA damage in chromosomal regions leads to a progressive and cumulative loss of protective telomere sequences at the chromosome end [101].”

    From NAD+ Precursors Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR): Potential Dietary Contribution to Health (2023) · cites this paper as [101]

    The Telomere Attrition section confirms progressive, cumulative loss of protective sequences from chromosome ends. But it attributes that loss to incomplete replication of chromosome ends and the absence of telomerase in most mammalian somatic cells, not to accumulated DNA damage in chromosomal regions. It discusses damage at telomeres separately as a cause of persistent damage and deleterious cellular effects. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Short telomeres show decreased expression and activity of sirtuins and marked mitochondrial dysfunction.

    “Short telomeres showed decreased expression and activity of sirtuins and marked mitochondrial dysfunction.”

    From NAD+ Precursors Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR): Potential Dietary Contribution to Health (2023) · cites this paper as [101]

    The Mitochondrial Dysfunction section links telomere attrition in telomerase-deficient mice to reduced mitochondrial biogenesis and describes mitochondrial decline. It also discusses sirtuins’ roles in mitochondrial function, but does not say that short telomeres decrease sirtuin expression or activity. The claim also presents the mitochondrial finding more broadly than the mouse-specific example in the passage. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Evidence from yeast and mammals supports an Information Theory of Ageing in which loss of epigenetic information disrupts youthful gene expression, causing cellular dysfunction and senescence.

    “Evidence from yeast and mammals supports an Information Theory of Ageing10,11, in which the loss of epigenetic information disrupts youthful gene expression patterns1–3, leading to cellular dysfunction and senescence12,13.”

    From Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision (2020) · cites this paper as [12]

    The Epigenetic Alterations overview (page not provided) says aging is accompanied by epigenetic changes, and the Transcriptional alterations section reports age-related changes in gene expression. The paper also discusses longevity-related evidence from yeast and mammals. It does not set out an Information Theory of Ageing or establish the claimed causal chain from loss of epigenetic information through disrupted youthful expression to cellular dysfunction and senescence. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Old age is the strongest risk factor for the chronic diseases that account for most morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs globally.

    “Old age is the greatest risk factor for the chronic diseases responsible for the majority of morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs worldwide (1, 2).”

    From Senolytic Drugs: Reducing Senescent Cell Viability to Extend Health Span (2021) · cites this paper as [2]

    The indexed Abstract (page not provided) calls aging the primary risk factor for major human pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. It does not say that these diseases account for the majority of morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs worldwide. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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1 retracted

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Authors
López-Otín, C., Blasco, M. A., Partridge, L., Serrano, M., & Kroemer, G.
Affiliations
  • Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing (DE)
  • Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (ES)
  • Inserm (FR)
Corresponding author
Serrano, Manuel
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-06
Volume
153
Issue
6
Pages
1194-1217
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2126525177
Cited by
14,982
References
305
Citations by year
2026: 1358 · 2025: 1511 · 2024: 1522 · 2023: 1652 · 2022: 1695 · 2021: 1616 · 2020: 1376 · 2019: 1102 · 2018: 949 · 2017: 738 · 2016: 560 · 2015: 521 · 2014: 295 · 2013: 77 · 2012: 1
FWCI
29.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Consultation of the Doctoral Thesis Database (TESEO) (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Wellcome Trust (098565)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
Keywords
aging, hallmarks of aging, genomic instability, telomere shortening, epigenetic modifications, proteostasis, nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, intercellular communication, mammalian aging
MeSH terms
Aging, Animals, Humans, Telomere, Cellular Senescence, Genomic Instability, Epigenesis, Genetic

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