Reference
Cluster glossary
Shared terms used across the network, defined once and cross-linked. Definitions only, no claims.
One vocabulary, one place
The mechanism sites share a vocabulary. This index defines the terms once and points to where each is used, so the network reads consistently. Definitions are descriptive framing only — no term here is a recommendation, and pointing to a site is navigation, not a claim.
| Term | Definition | Used on |
|---|---|---|
| Hallmark of aging | One of the 12 organizing categories of aging biology (Lopez-Otin et al. 2023). Used descriptively across the network to structure the sites, not as a claim that anything is targeted. | see › |
| Evidence tier | A position on the shared seven-tier scale, from a healthy-aging lifespan RCT (tier 1, empty network-wide) down to in-vitro mechanism (tier 7). Never collapsed into a single score. | see › |
| Human lifespan RCT | A randomized controlled trial with a healthy-aging lifespan endpoint in a healthy-aging population. None exists for any mechanism in this network. | see › |
| Biomarker endpoint | A measured surrogate (e.g. telomere length, senescent-cell burden, a functional marker) rather than a clinical outcome or lifespan. A biomarker change is not a clinical outcome. | see › |
| Healthspan vs lifespan | Healthspan is years of good function; lifespan is total years lived. A healthspan or function change, especially in an animal, is not a human lifespan result. | see › |
| Disease-population outcome | A hard clinical result measured in patients with a disease, not in healthy aging. Real and important, but it is disease treatment, never presented here as a healthy-aging benefit. | see › |
| Honesty flag (green / amber / grey) | The three-colour marker on every site card: green = lifespan RCT (none exist), amber = human data but not a lifespan RCT, grey = animal/mechanism-only or not yet published. | see › |
| mTOR / nutrient-sensing | The insulin/IGF-1, mTOR, AMPK and sirtuin signaling network that senses nutrients; the deregulated-nutrient-sensing hallmark. Covered by the mtorix site. | see › |
| Cellular senescence / SASP | Growth-arrested cells that accumulate with age and secrete a pro-inflammatory signal set (the senescence-associated secretory phenotype). Covered by the senesiq site. | see › |
| Senolytic | A compound intended to clear senescent cells (e.g. dasatinib+quercetin, fisetin). Human evidence is pilot / biomarker grade only. Covered by the senesiq site. | see › |
| Mitochondrial dysfunction | Age-related decline in mitochondrial efficiency and dynamics with increased ROS leakage; a hallmark of aging. Covered by the mitoix site. | see › |
| Telomere attrition / telomerase | Progressive shortening of chromosome-end caps, and the enzyme that extends them. Telomere length is a contested aging marker. Covered by the teloix site. | see › |