It is funny what does and does not catch the attention of the popular science press. This really isn't all that important as an example of research. It is a ver

It is funny what does and does not catch the attention of the popular science press. This really isn't all that important as an example of research. It is a very incremental increment in exploring the connections related to cellular housekeeping and stress responses. There really isn't anything that can be done with this knowledge that couldn't be done already with the existing knowledge of the ribosome. This is an example of the broad, dominant class of aging research that is purely investigative. Most research into the detailed mechanisms of degenerative aging is very far removed from any thought of application, and it is lucky happenstance when such an opportunity does arise. Unfortunately, systems very closely tied to cellular housekeeping, or responses to stress, or replication seem unlikely to result in the foundations of truly effective therapies. We can look at calorie restriction or exercise, both of which alter all of the above items quite profoundly and throughout the body, to see the plausible benefits that might be attained through manipulation of these fundamental aspect of cellular behavior. We can also look at the past fifteen years of research into these mechanisms to see just how slow and expensive it is to try to produce therapies to slow aging - there is very little to show for all of the effort invested. Searching for means to adjust metabolism to modestly slow aging is not a winning strategy; the expected benefits are just not large enough. We must find ways to add decades of vigorous life, not just a few few healthy years.