Clarifying the Hyperfunction Theory of Aging

My encounters with the hyperfunction theory of aging have at times left me confused, and I suspect that not all of those arguing for it are working from exactly the same picture in their heads. The version presented in today's editorial is somewhat more clear, possibly because the primary intent of the paper is to clarify. It is worth noting up front that the author is very much a proponent of the centrality of mTOR and related signaling pathways in aging, in the sense that aging and age-related degeneration is a program of regulatory change that produces damage. The opposing mainstream viewpoint in the research community is that aging is an accumulation of molecular damage, and regulatory change in signaling pathways is a consequence of that damage. Hyperfunction is (roughly) the inappropriate continuation of developmental programs past their allotted time, leading to harm to the organism. The author of the editorial below would suggest too much mTOR signaling in later life as a case in point. On the other side of the fence, accumulation of damage is, roughly, the side effect of a metabolism optimized for early life success, lacking long-term repair capabilities, such as the ability to break down persistent cross-links that accumulate only very slowly, or lacking the structural capacity for indefinite function, as is the case for the adaptive immune system, which requires ever more resources devoted to memory. Both the hyperfunction and damage accumulation view...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs