Possibilities of gene, cellular and pharmacological approaches to correct age-related changes

Improvement of the human habitat has led to an increase in average life expectancy. Long life goes hand in hand with old age, which reduces the quality of human life and it is an acute social problem. Thus, the search for approaches that can improve the quality of life, the ability to live it without age-related diseases is an extremely urgent task. Aging of the body begins with the aging of cells, in which the activation of the aging process occurs through the induction of specific signaling pathways, which irreversibly divides the life of any cell into “before and after”. Aging cells are able to influence their microenvironment, secreting more inflammatory signaling molecules and inducing pathological changes in neighboring cells. The accumulation and long-term preservation of aged cells lead to deterioration of the condition of tissues and organs, and ultimately to a decrease in the quality of life and an increased risk of death. Among the most promising approaches to the correction of aging and age-related diseases are pharmacological, gene and cell therapy. Increasing the expression of aging suppressor genes, using certain populations of native and genetically modified cells, as well as senolytic drugs can help delay aging and associated diseases for a more distant future. This review examines currently studied approaches and achievements in the field of anti-aging therapy, in particular gene therapy using adeno-associated vectors and approaches based on cell therapy.