Molecular Signature Of Aging Driven By Wnt Signaling Pathway: Lessons From Nematodes

Aging is a universal biological process that afflicts every creature on this planet. To date, we have an inferior understanding of what causes this degeneration. A commonly held view is that aging is the result of damage accumulation over a lifetime. However, research has shown that aging is not only the result of wear and tear in the organism but also of genetic programs involved in organismal development that go awry as selective pressure is released. With this in mind, we have investigated the Wnt signaling pathway, as a significant and highly conserved developmental pathway that guides many essential events during embryonic and larval development. We also discuss how these genetic programs orchestrate changes in the organism that could cause aging and open a new research direction on the role of Wnt signaling in aging and age-related diseases.