Why aging isn’t regulated: A lamentation on the use of language in aging literature

Aging research has a problem. The field is expanding rapidly but our understanding of aging is clouded because of the language we use when describing genes that influence aging. As researchers from different disciplines gather to solve aging problems, different terms are being used to describe genetic affects. Genetic alterations can bring about enormous changes in lifespan but the significance of these experiments is debated; either the results are hailed as spectacular breakthroughs or alternatively considered laboratory artifacts unlikely to reveal useful knowledge about aging. How could this have come about and what do we need to do about it? I suggest we need to listen to exactly what each other is saying and also think carefully about how we are using key terms when describing our results. Rather than a scholarly review of this important issue, this article is intended to prompt debate. Consequently, “the gloves are off”.