Current status of efforts to measure and modulate the biological rate of aging.

Biomarkers of aging would be highly desirable, but so far, a definitive panel of biomarkers to predict mortality risk has not been obtained, even though many traits that vary with age have been identified. This lack hinders the search for interventions that may retard the rate of aging in mammals. The recent discovery and characterization of many longevity genes in animal model systems, such as nematodes, fruit flies, and mice, are providing new targets for research by providing insight into mechanisms of longevity regulation in these model systems. It is hoped that this will ultimately lead to interventions to delay the development of age-related pathology in humans.