Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the recurring concepts in this atlas. Terms link out to the entries where they matter most — and appear as hover previews throughout the wiki.
Autophagy
The cell's recycling process that breaks down and reuses damaged components, important for stress resistance and maintenance.
Biological age
An estimate of organism or tissue state relative to typical aging patterns, usually inferred from biomarkers rather than birthdays.
Blastoid
An embryo-like structure self-organized from stem cells that mimics an early-stage blastocyst.
CAR-T
A therapy using a patient's T cells engineered to recognize and attack cancer, a living-cell treatment.
Cellular senescence
A stress response in which cells stop dividing and can secrete inflammatory signals that shape tissue aging, cancer suppression, and repair.
Engram
The physical trace a specific memory leaves in a set of neurons, which experiments can tag and reactivate.
Epigenetic editing
Targeted regulation of gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence.
Geroprotector
A compound intended to slow aging processes or extend healthspan.
Geroscience
The field studying how aging mechanisms drive multiple chronic diseases and how targeting them might extend healthspan.
Healthspan
The period of life spent with preserved function, resilience, and low disease burden.
In vitro gametogenesis (IVG)
Making eggs or sperm from non-reproductive cells such as stem cells, achieved in mice but not yet in humans.
Lipid nanoparticle
A tiny fatty carrier used to deliver RNA or gene editors into cells, notably efficient at reaching the liver.
SeeIn Vivo Gene Editing and Delivery, Personalized RNA Medicine
Mitochondrial replacement
Replacing disease-causing mitochondrial DNA in an egg or embryo while keeping the parents' nuclear DNA.
mTOR
A cellular signaling hub that senses nutrients and growth signals and controls the balance between growth and maintenance.
Neural decoder
Software that translates neural or nerve signals into commands for communication, movement, or device control.
Neuromodulation
Changing nervous-system activity with targeted electrical, magnetic, or chemical stimulation.
Off-target effect
An unintended edit or drug action at a site other than the intended target, a central safety concern in gene editing.
SeeGene Editing Platforms, In Vivo Gene Editing and Delivery
Off-the-shelf therapy
A cell or tissue product manufactured in advance for many patients rather than made individually.
Polygenic risk score
A statistical estimate of a person's genetic predisposition to a trait based on many common variants.
Programmable medicine
Therapies designed from modular instructions, such as RNA sequences, engineered cells, or gene editors.
PROTAC
A bifunctional molecule that tags a target protein for destruction by the cell's disposal machinery.
Proteostasis
The maintenance of a healthy set of properly folded proteins; its loss is a hallmark of aging.
Senolytic
An intervention intended to selectively remove senescent cells.
Somatic vs germline
Somatic changes affect only the treated individual; germline changes are heritable by future generations.
Synthetic circuit
An engineered biological control system that senses inputs and produces designed outputs inside cells or organisms.
Transhumanism
A philosophical and technical movement focused on using science and engineering to expand human capacities and resilience.
Xenotransplantation
Transplanting organs or tissues from one species to another, such as gene-edited pig organs into humans.