Book

Ending Aging — Aubrey de Grey (2007)

Last updated Sat May 30 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

What it covers

The SENS framework: seven categories of age-related damage, each with proposed repair strategies:

Cell loss / atrophy.
Cellular senescence.
Nuclear mutations / epimutations.
Mitochondrial mutations.
Intracellular junk.
Extracellular junk.
Extracellular crosslinks.

de Grey argues that addressing each category in turn can deliver "longevity escape velocity" — lifespan extending faster than chronological time accumulates.

Where it sits historically

The book pre-dates much of the modern longevity-biotech industry. Many specific programmes it advocated have since been spun out into companies:

Senolytics — Unity Biotechnology, others.
Cyclodextrin / 7-ketocholesterol clearance — Cyclarity.
Allotopic mtDNA expression — ongoing pre-clinical work.
Catabodies for extracellular amyloid — multiple programmes.

What to read critically

de Grey’s timeline predictions have not panned out.
The engineering-style framing under-represents the systemic / signalling component of aging.
Some specific mechanisms (WILT for cancer) remain controversial.
de Grey himself is a polarising figure; the book stands or falls on its content rather than its author.

Companion content

SENS Research Foundation publications.
de Grey’s LEV Foundation work (since 2021).