Personalist Bioethics as a Guide to Assessing Emerging Anti-aging Therapies

Abstract

Over the last several years, the idea that aging is inevitable has been replaced by scientific evidence showing that it is rather a malleable process. In this article, the most relevant and promising therapies have been classified into three large groups, based on their possible bioethical implications: (1) nutritional interventions, (2) pharmacological interventions, and (3) gene therapies. After defining the mechanisms of action of each group of treatments, as well as the risks and benefits currently identified, we evaluated each group following guidelines for the ethical assessment of interventions on the human body. These are based on the principles of personalist bioethics, which has allowed us to discern the licitness of such practices. After performing the analysis, we concluded that, at present, only nutritional interventions can be considered acceptable as anti-aging therapies. Drugs and gene therapies are still at too early a stage of development and their application would endanger human life. Finally, some recommendations are proposed in the field of aging founded on health care, based on healthy dietary control that, in turn, allows us to embrace the frailty and weakness of human nature, which become more evident during old age.