DNA damage and repair in aging

Aging is manifested as progressive deterioration in form and physiological fitness of an organism, being accompanied by a decline in fecundity and an increase in susceptibility to various disorders. Despite considerable effort in aging research, it still remains a relatively mysterious phenomenon because of a dearth in the molecular understanding of what drives the process. In this chapter, we focus on the DNA damage response and repair pathways and how their efficiency and usage become altered during aging. We summarize the evidence for the DNA damage theory of aging, which hypothesizes a direct, causative role for DNA damage in aging. We will describe several disorders that are characterized by an accelerated aging phenotype and that occur as a result of mutations in various DNA repair factors.