Strategies to get aging interventions into humans

It has become clear that aging can be modified in a wide range of animal models. If similar approaches are successful in humans, it will open up an opportunity to change healthcare, making it possible to keep people healthy as they get older, delaying disease onset and improving quality-of-life. However, the methodologies for testing aging interventions in humans are not developed. While a few intriguing studies have been performed, the path toward testing a longevity drug in humans remains murky and this is likely a key feature keeping pharmaceutical companies from major commitments in this space. Medical diets, nutraceuticals and lifestyle interventions have a clearer path, but validation of their efficacy remains a major challenge. I will discuss an array of interventions currently being considered and provide some thoughts on how to accelerate their testing in humans.