New hypothesis explaining the aging process published in Nature Communications by Mikołaj Ogrodnik
Aging might not simply be a slow wearing out of our organs but could be something more specific: a wound that never begins to heal. In a new Perspective article in the renowned journal Nature Communications, Mikołaj Ogrodnik proposes a bold new way of understanding aging through the lens of tissue damage and repair.
The article argues that many hallmarks of aging, such as inflammation, immune cell infiltration, and cellular senescence, mirror those seen in the early stages of wound healing. The key difference? In aging, the organs seem to get “stuck” in this early, inflammatory phase. Instead of progressing toward full repair, tissues stay locked in a persistent damage response, which leads to the gradual decline in function we associate with aging.
Crucially, Mikołaj puts forward evidence for a deep overlap between injury and aging: interventions that slow aging often impair healing, and vice versa. This reciprocity suggests that the two processes share core pathways, and helps explain why simply damping inflammation or senescence might come at a cost for tissue repair.
By framing aging as a chronic activation of the body’s own healing mechanisms, the hypothesis introduces a novel unifying concept that connects regenerative biology, age-related disease, and even cancer. This framework could transform how we understand and approach aging. It suggests that by targeting the body’s persistent damage responses, we may open new avenues for therapies against age-related diseases, cancer, and aging itself.
Read the full article: Aging: the wound that never starts healing | Nature Communications
