Emerging therapeutics
Twelve ways science is trying to slow aging.
From the proven foundations of exercise and sleep to the frontier of epigenetic reprogramming. Each entry shows how it works, which hallmarks it targets, and an honest label for how far the human evidence goes.
Established
Strong human evidence for healthspan outcomes.
Approved for other uses
FDA-approved for a disease; use for aging is off-label and unproven.
In human trials
Being tested in people; results are early or mixed.
Preclinical
Animal or lab data only. Treat any offering as experimental.
Established
Foundations
Exercise and resistance training
The best-evidenced healthspan intervention we have: aerobic fitness plus strength.
Established
Foundations
Sleep, nutrition and caloric restriction
Daily inputs that shape metabolic aging; the strongest data are for caloric restriction.
Approved for other uses
Metabolic
GLP-1 receptor agonists
Obesity and diabetes drugs with proven heart benefits and an open question on aging.
Approved for other uses
Geroscience drugs
Metformin and the TAME trial
A low-cost diabetes drug proposed as the first test case for treating aging itself.
Approved for other uses
Geroscience drugs
Rapamycin and mTOR inhibitors
The most consistent lifespan extender in animals, now in early human testing.
In human trials
Geroscience drugs
Senolytics
Drugs that clear senescent “zombie” cells, with mixed but growing human data.
In human trials
Metabolic
NAD+ precursors (NR, NMN)
Popular supplements that raise NAD+, with modest and narrow human results so far.
In human trials
Genetic & epigenetic
Partial epigenetic reprogramming
Briefly using Yamanaka factors to reset a cell’s epigenetic age without erasing its identity.
Preclinical
Genetic & epigenetic
Gene therapy (klotho, follistatin)
Delivering longevity-linked genes by viral vector; so far an animal-only story.
In human trials
Cellular & regenerative
Stem cell therapy and plasma exchange
Replacing cells or diluting old blood factors; early trials show signals, not proof.
Preclinical
Cellular & regenerative
Peptide therapies
Widely marketed, thinly studied in humans, and in regulatory flux in the US.
In human trials
Diagnostics & AI
Biological age clocks and AI biomarkers
Blood tests that estimate how fast you, or each organ, are aging.
A note on safety
Inclusion here is not a recommendation. Many of these therapies are experimental, off-label or not FDA-approved for aging, and some carry real risks. Talk with your own physician before starting anything.