Dietary and Pharmacological Modulation of Aging-Related Metabolic Pathways: Molecular Insights, Clinical Evidence, and a Translational Model.

ABSTRACT: Advances in geroscience suggest that aging is modulated by molecular pathways that are amenable to dietary and pharmacological intervention. We conducted an integrative critical review of caloric restriction (CR), intermittent fasting (IF), and caloric restriction mimetics (CR-mimetics) to compare shared mechanisms, clinical evidence, limitations, and translational potential. Across modalities, CR and IF consistently activate AMP-activated protein kinase and sirtuins, inhibit mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) signaling, and enhance autophagy, aligning with improvements in insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, low-grade inflammation, and selected epigenetic aging measures in humans. CR-mimetics, such as metformin, resveratrol, rapamycin, and spermidine, partially reproduce these effects;

SUBMITTER: Murillo-Cancho AF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12525316 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature