Two-Phase Model Of Ageing In Mice For Improved Identification Of Age-Related And Late Life Metabolic Decline
Scientists have long sought to understand the complex journey of aging and the processes that lead to the end of life. While the concept of a clear “end-of-life transition” has been observed in simpler organisms like fruit flies, worms, and zebrafish, identifying a similar pattern in mammals has been a challenge.
Recent research has made significant strides by confirming a two-phase model of aging in mice, a mammalian species. This model suggests that living beings don’t just gradually decline but rather experience two distinct stages. The first stage is characterized by apparent health, where individuals have a low immediate risk of dying, though this risk steadily increases with age. However, there’s a point where individuals transition into a second, more critical phase.
This second phase is marked by noticeable signs of aging and a significantly elevated risk of death. Researchers were able to identify a specific set of physical, metabolic (how the body uses energy), and molecular changes that consistently appear during this late-life stage. Crucially, these changes serve as a signature of the end-of-life phase, regardless of the mouse’s chronological age.
The discovery of this two-phase aging pattern in a mammalian organism like the mouse is a crucial development. It provides a more accurate way to understand and characterize the period when an individual is at a high risk of imminent death. This breakthrough could have wide-ranging implications, extending its application to aging research across many other species, potentially leading to a better understanding of the aging process in general.