unaging

Unaging is a term often used informally to describe the prospect of reversing aging processes or restoring a younger physiological condition. It is not a standardized scientific designation, and in the literature the more common framing is rejuvenation or aging reversal. The goal is generally to improve healthspan by reducing or reversing biological age, rather than to achieve immortality.

Biological aging encompasses a range of interconnected processes, including genomic instability, telomere attrition, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, altered intercellular communication, and chronic inflammation. Researchers aiming for unaging typically measure progress with biomarkers of aging, such as epigenetic clocks or other indicators of biological age, in addition to functional outcomes like organ performance and disease risk.

Current human evidence for unaging remains limited. In animals, some experiments with partial cellular reprogramming—reversing certain cell identities using Yamanaka factors—have shown tissue-level rejuvenation and healthspan improvements, but also risks such as tumor formation and loss of cell identity. In humans, approaches include senolytic drugs that clear senescent cells, caloric restriction or mimetics (for example, metformin or rapamycin) that may slow aging-related decline, and exploratory gene or cellular therapies targeting aging pathways. None has demonstrated safe, reliable reversal of aging in humans to date.

Because of the provisional nature of the evidence, unaging is viewed by many researchers as a component of healthspan extension rather than a proven reversal of aging. Ethical, regulatory, and social considerations—such as safety, equity of access, and long-term societal impact—are central to ongoing discussions in the field.