This episode of InsideTracker, features Dr. Gordon Lithgow of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. The conversation explores what drives ageing at the molecular level and how scientists are uncovering ways to extend not just lifespan, but the number of healthy years lived—our healthspan.

Key Points:

This podcast episode explores how scientists are uncovering the mechanisms that control ageing and how we might extend not just how long we live, but how long we stay healthy. Dr. Gordon Lithgow discusses the shift from treating diseases one-by-one to targeting the biological ageing process itself.

• How Ageing Became a Scientific Question: Dr. Lithgow was inspired by research showing that a single gene mutation in a tiny worm (C. elegans) could significantly extend lifespan. This revealed that ageing is not random but biologically regulated—and therefore scientifically targetable.
• Why Worms Matter in Ageing Research: C. elegans lives only ~20 days and shares many biological pathways with humans. This allows ageing experiments to run quickly and cheaply, helping scientists identify genes and molecules that influence longevity before testing them in mice or humans.
• From Lifespan to Healthspan: Modern ageing research focuses on delaying chronic age-related diseases (such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s) by slowing the underlying ageing process—an approach known as geroscience.
• Protein Shape and Ageing: Many age-related diseases involve proteins losing their proper shape and clumping. Lithgow’s work shows that stabilizing protein structure—through genetic or chemical interventions—can extend lifespan and improve health.
• Molecules of Interest: Vitamin D & AKG: Screens for lifespan-extending compounds identified vitamin D and alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) as promising. In mouse studies, AKG not only increased lifespan but compressed the period of late-life illness, improving quality of life.
• The Iron Connection: Excess iron can disrupt protein folding and accelerate ageing. Managing iron balance may play an overlooked role in maintaining brain health and reducing risk of neurodegenerative disease.