Aging represents a physiological and per se non-pathological and multifactorial process
involving a set of key genes and mechanisms being triggered by different endogenous and
exogenous factors. Since aging is a major risk factor in connection with a variety of human
disorders it is increasingly becoming a central topic in biochemical and medical research. The
plethora of theories on aging some of which have been discussed for decades are neither
isolated nor contradictory but instead can be connected in a network of pathways and processes
at the cellular and molecular levels. This book summarizes the most prominent and important
approaches focusing on telomeres DNA damage and oxidative stress as well as on the possible
role of nutrition the interplay between genes and environment (epigenetics) and intracellular
protein homeostasis and introduces some genes that have actually extended life spans in animal
models. Linking these different determinants of aging with disease this volume aims to reveal
their multiple interdependencies. We see that there is no single perfect theory of aging and
that instead it is possible to define what the authors call the molecular aging matrix of the
cell. A better knowledge of its key mechanisms and the mutual connections between its
components will lead to a better understanding of age-associated disorders such as Alzheimer s
disease.
