Q&A on aging research with Section Editor Ines Alvarez-Garcia

We speak to Ines Alvarez-Garcia, the Cell Biology Section Editor at PLOS Biology, about the new Collection “Aging: from cellular mechanisms to organismal physiology”, her background in cell biology and her vision for aging research at the journal.

What is your role at PLOS Biology?

I am a Section Editor at PLOS Biology overseeing all of cell biology for the journal, but I specifically cover several topics that include aging, development, signaling and cancer. I ‘m a developmental biologist, but my PhD and postdoctoral training were quite wide-ranging, allowing me to have a broad understanding of many cellular and molecular biology topics.

How did you become interested in aging research?

Aging is a fascinating topic that is, of necessity, very interdisciplinary, and, as a cell biologist, I find the broad range of research involved extremely satisfying to work with. Studies in aging involve cellular signaling, interorgan communication, epigenetics, physiological effects and health interventions, to name but a few. I read with interest the literature on the progress made in this field, so when I had the opportunity to handle manuscripts on the topic for PLOS Biology several years ago, I jumped at the opportunity. Since then, the topic has become close to my heart and has given me the chance to meet many researchers working on aging at conferences and to learn much about the field.

Tell us a bit about aging research at PLOS Biology. What types of research are you excited about?

A substantial effort has been made over the past decade to develop interventions that would slow down the process of aging and allow us to live longer in a healthy manner. We have managed to attract many interesting studies to the journal that have made an impact in the field, but a number of important questions remain unsolved. Several signaling pathways, mainly involved in metabolism, are known to have an effect on lifespan in model organisms. But why do some humans live much longer than others? Could we extend life by improving our diet? Can we maintain our cognitive capabilities during aging? Going even further, could we perhaps reverse the process? It would be very interesting to see manuscripts that attempt to address those questions and make a significant impact on the way we tackle aging.

Tell us a bit about the new Collection. What made you choose “Aging: from cellular mechanisms to organismal physiology” as a theme? What are your hopes for the future of the field?

I’m really excited to share with our readers the new Collection, as it brings together the most important findings in the aging field over the past decade, from discoveries in basic biology to the emerging field of rejuvenation. We wanted to explore mechanistic insights in cell signaling that might slow down aging, both in living individuals and in the generations to come, and to understand how health interventions can simply extend the lives of aged individuals with chronic illnesses or actually improve them. We also explore whether ‘SuperAgers’ can use neurogenesis to restore lost neurons better than others and if reproductive organs hold the secret of rejuvenation or maintaining our well-being by communicating with other organs. Other pieces in the Collection analyze the influence of the immune system on aging and explore whether interactions with the gut microbiome serve as a surveillance mechanism that can slow the aging process by keeping these bacterial communities healthy. I hope you will find this Collection as interesting as I have and we look forward to your future submissions to PLOS Biology on this topic.

About the author

Ines Alvarez-Garcia is a Section Editor at PLOS Biology, based in Cambridge, UK. ORCID: 0000-0002-8996-1849 [email protected]