On July 1, 2025, the Department of Aging Biology was established within the Division of Aging Science at the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University.
Everyone aspires to live a long and healthy life. In the newly established laboratory, launched in July 2025, the Department seeks to address a fundamental question:
Why does aging—a universal phenomenon—progress at different rates among individuals?
Even among people of the same age, some appear more youthful than others. This suggests that aging involves more than simply the passage of time; it varies significantly between individuals. What drives these differences?
The Department is investigating the mechanisms of aging from three key perspectives:
• Microbiota residing in the gut, skin, and other body sites
• The immune system, which safeguards the body
• Cellular senescence, the stress-induced state of cells
Through these studies, the goal is to help create a society where individuals’ health spans are extended, empowering people to lead more active and fulfilling lives as they age.