Geroprotector

Definition

A geroprotector is any agent (drug, supplement, or intervention) whose proposed mechanism targets a fundamental aging process rather than a specific disease. The term encompasses:

• mTOR inhibitors (rapamycin and analogs).
• AMPK activators (metformin, berberine).
• Sirtuin / NAD⁺ boosters (NR, NMN).
• Senolytics (D+Q, fisetin).
• Senomorphics (rapamycin, JAK inhibitors).
• Mitophagy enhancers (urolithin A).
• Telomerase activators (mostly experimental).
• Caloric-restriction mimetics (resveratrol, hydroxycitrate).

What distinguishes it from a disease drug

A disease drug treats one indication (e.g. statins for ASCVD). A geroprotector aims to retard multiple age-related diseases simultaneously because it acts on shared upstream biology — the geroscience hypothesis.

Regulatory implications

No drug is currently approved with "geroprotection" as its indication. The TAME trial is intended to create a regulatory path. In practice, most candidates are evaluated on individual disease indications first.

Sub-categories worth knowing

• Senotherapeutic = umbrella for senolytics + senomorphics.
• Senolytic = selectively kills senescent cells.
• Senomorphic = silences SASP without killing cells.
• Geroscience-guided trial = trial using multi-disease composite endpoints, with the explicit aim of testing the geroscience hypothesis.

Related entries

Geroscience hypothesis, Senolytics, Cellular senescence, TAME.