Longevity
Glossary

The cellular recycling system that activates longevity pathways

Autophagy (from the Greek for 'self-eating') is the process by which cells degrade and recycle their own damaged or defective components — misfolded p…

Systematic optimisation of the body using science and technology

Biohacking is the practice of applying scientific principles, technology, and lifestyle changes to optimise physical performance, mental performance, …

The true age of your cells, independent of your date of birth

Biological age measures the functional state of the body at a molecular and cellular level, as opposed to chronological age (years lived). Two people …

The regenerative peptide derived from gastric juice with proven healing properties

BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound 157) is a pentadecapeptide of 15 amino acids derived from a protective protein found in human gastric juice. It work…

The 'zombie' cells that neither die nor divide — and poison their surroundings

Cellular senescence is a state in which a cell permanently stops dividing but does not die. These 'zombie' or senescent cells accumulate irreparable D…

The algorithm that reads your DNA and calculates how old your cells really are

An epigenetic clock is a bioinformatics algorithm that estimates biological age from DNA methylation patterns at specific genomic positions (CpG sites…

How the environment modifies gene expression without changing the DNA

Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence. The main mechanisms are DNA methylation (a…

Intercellular messengers that replicate the regenerative power of stem cells

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles of 30–150 nanometres secreted by virtually all cells in the body. They transport mRNA, microRNA, proteins, and lip…

The body's master antioxidant

Glutathione is a tripeptide (glutamate-cysteine-glycine) considered the primary intracellular antioxidant of the human body. It acts as a cofactor for…

The difference between living longer and living better — and why the former matters more

Lifespan is the total duration of life (years lived). Healthspan is the period of life during which optimal functional health is maintained — free fro…

The most important inflammatory marker for predicting cardiovascular risk

High-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP, high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein) is an acute-phase protein synthesised by the liver in response to systemic inflammat…

Why small doses of stress make the body stronger

Hormesis is the biological phenomenon in which low-intensity exposures to a stressor produce beneficial effects, while high doses of the same agent ar…

The chronic low-grade inflammation that accelerates ageing

Inflammaging (a contraction of 'inflammation' and 'ageing') describes the state of chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation that progressively sets in…

The most widely used regenerative cells in longevity and regenerative medicine

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells found in bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord, and other tissues. Their primary …

The cellular power plants whose dysfunction accelerates ageing

Mitochondria are organelles present in nearly all human cells (except erythrocytes) responsible for producing the majority of cellular ATP through oxi…

The molecular switch that decides between growth and longevity

mTOR (mechanistic Target of Rapamycin) is a protein kinase that acts as a central sensor of nutrients, energy, and growth factors. When mTOR is active…

The coenzyme of life that declines with age and is key to longevity

NAD+ is a coenzyme present in all living cells, fundamental to over 500 biochemical reactions. Its primary functions are: electron transport in the mi…

The therapeutic use of light to stimulate the mitochondria

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is the use of light at specific wavelengths (630–850 nm, red and near-infrared) to stimulate biological processes in tissues.…

The proteins that control inflammation — and become dysregulated with ageing

Cytokines are signalling proteins that regulate the immune and inflammatory response. The most relevant for ageing are IL-6 (interleukin 6) and TNF-α …

Regeneration using the growth factors from your own blood

PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) is an autologous therapy that concentrates platelets and their growth factors (PDGF, TGF-β, VEGF, EGF, FGF) to 5–10 times n…

The longevity enzymes that depend on NAD+ to function

Sirtuins are a family of 7 deacylase proteins (SIRT1–7) that regulate cellular processes fundamental to longevity: DNA repair, genome stability, energ…

The 'caps' on chromosomes that shorten with each cell division

Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences (TTAGGG in humans) that protect the ends of chromosomes, like the plastic tips on shoelaces. With each cell div…

Precision molecular signals that repair, optimise, and rejuvenate

Therapeutic peptides are short chains of 2–50 amino acids that act as specific molecular signals in the body, activating receptors with high selectivi…