Work

A damage accumulation model identifies distinct aging regimes across species

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Different species age in similar ways but their lifespans differ by orders of magnitude. It is not clear how these similarities and differences arise from the accumulation of damage that underlies aging. Does long lifespan arise from reduced damage production, increased removal, or enhanced robustness to damage? To address this we apply a stochastic model of damage accumulation and removal, known as the saturating removal model, and fit it to survival data from well-studied species. Several parameters have near-universal values including removal rate, noise amplitude and death threshold. Lifespan differences arise primarily from the damage production rate, which spans seven orders of magnitude. We identify two distinct aging regimes: ballistic aging where damage production outpaces removal, characterising yeast, nematodes, flies and mice, and quasi-steady-state aging where damage production and removal are balanced until old age, characterizing humans, dogs, and cats. These principles offer a mechanistic basis for comparative aging.

Source: Nature Aging

DOI: 10.1038/s43587-026-01138-7