By 2050, nearly a quarter of the world’s population — more than two billion people — will be over 60 years old, according to the World Health Organization. The anticipated needs for the near doubling of the world’s over-60 age group are expected to spur developments in various sectors, including health care, technology and transportation. The United Nations declared 2021-30 the “UN Decade of Healthy Ageing,” with the goal of reducing inequities older people face and improving their lives.

“The aging population is growing rapidly, and for which, the need for research on aging is also surging,” said Guobing Chen, editor-in-chief of the newly launched journal Aging Research. “This demographic shift has significant implications for health and social care, as well as for the economy and society. In order to meet the challenge posted by this shift, we need a better understanding of the aging process and the factors that contribute to healthy aging.”

That’s the goal of the journal, which published its first issue in September on SciOpen, an open-access resource by Tsinghua University Press and its partners.

“Our new open-access journal Aging Research serves as a platform for innovative, multi-disciplinary studies on aging,” said Chen, who is also a professor of immunology at Jinan University in China. “Aging Research publishes original research results that are of unusual significance or broad conceptual or technical advances in all areas of aging, longevity, aging related disease, public health and social sciences about aging.”

The journal also covers basic biological research, translational studies and clinical research — from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside. In addition to research studies, the journal commissions reviews, perspectives, comments, opinion and news pieces, and analyses for a target audience of academic researchers, industry representatives and policymakers.

“The journal aims to foster interactions among different areas of this diverse field of research and to promote new and exciting ideas within and beyond the research community, to enable synergy and maximize scientific and societal impact,” Chen said. “We believe that the most impactful studies are those that challenge existing paradigms and lead to new insights. As such, we prioritize studies that present new ideas, technology and methods — especially those that address important knowledge gaps in aging or present new interventions that promote healthy aging.”

According to Chen, while other journals have played a critical role in advancing the understanding of aging, there is a need for new and innovative platforms for publishing research in this area.

“With advances in technology and new research methods, we have the potential to make significant strides in our understanding and treatment of age-related diseases—Aging Research aims to be at the forefront of this effort,” Chen said. “We envision a world where individuals are able to age gracefully, while maintaining a high quality of life. And we believe that with the help of our new journal, we can make significant progress towards this goal.” 

The first issue includes five articles on aging-related industry standards developed by the Chinese Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology.

“These standards highlight China's proactive efforts in addressing active health and aging-related technologies, while also providing positive references for the work of other countries in the relevant field,” Chen said.

This issue also features Huiru Wang and Jiachen Liu's article on implementation of strategies for promoting “proactive health” through exercise in the context of healthy aging, which, Chen said, further demonstrates China's specific measures in the field of active health.

In terms of basic research, the research groups of Oscar Junhong Luo from China and Michael L. Atchison from the United States respectively showcase the age-related changes in immune response caused by alternative splicing of T cells and the epigenetic regulation of antigen recognition receptors. Work by the research group of Hongli Zhao identifies key genes related to age-related Helicobacter pylori infection, which affects the stomach and can lead to peptic ulcers.

“In summary, this issue of Aging Research showcases the latest progress in the field from the perspectives of industry standards, public health strategies and basic research, fully demonstrating the vibrant vitality of research in this field,” Chen said.

The first issue of Aging Research includes the following papers:

Aging Research: Bridging the gaps in our understanding of aging

Guobing Chen

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340009

Elderly disability prevention service specification

Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340002

Specification for community management of osteoporosis

Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340003

Technical guidelines for prevention and intervention of cognitive impairment in the elderly

Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340004

Specification for mental health promotion services for the elderly

Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340005

Guidelines for the construction of supporting environment for healthy aging

Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340006

The connotation and path of sports promoting “proactive health” strategy

Huiru Wang, Jiachen Liu

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340011

Aging-related alternative splicing landscapes across human T cells

Lipeng Mao, Yue Zhu, Bei Zhang, Guangjie Wu, Qiuyue Feng, Oscar Junhong Luo

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340007

Multiple lineage-specific epigenetic landscapes at the antigen receptor loci

Xiang Qiu, Guanxiang Liang, Weiqiang Zhou, Ranjan Sen, Michael L. Atchison

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340010

Identification of aging-related genes in Helicobacter pylori infection

Honghao Li, Yuanyuan Deng, Honglie Zeng, Shaowei Cai, Ming Xu, Hongli Zhao

https://doi.org/10.26599/AGR.2023.9340013

About Aging Research

Aging Research is an Open Access publication addressing the fundamental issues in the biology of aging. Aging Research publishes original research results that are of unusual significance or broad conceptual or technical advances in all areas of aging, longevity, aging related disease, public health and social sciences about aging. Beyond research studies, the journal commissions Reviews, Perspectives and Comments on recent developments in the field of aging research, as well as opinion and news pieces, and analyses targeted at academic researchers, industry representatives and policymakers. The journal aims to foster interactions among different areas of this diverse field of research and to promote new and exciting ideas within and beyond the research community, to enable synergy and maximize scientific and societal impact.