From Lifespan Extension to Hallmark-Informed Gerotherapeutic Prioritization: A Bibliometric-Guided, Strategy-Oriented Review of Anti-Aging Drug Research.

Abstract

Anti-aging pharmacology has transitioned from early exploratory lifespan-extension studies to a hallmark-informed, multi-level framework that integrates mechanistic, preclinical, and translational evidence. Using a bibliometric-guided, strategy-oriented approach, this review maps the explicit anti-aging drug literature from 2005 to 2025, identifies historically influential compounds, and evaluates their translational readiness. The field converges on three partially overlapping intervention axes: senotherapeutics targeting cellular senescence and SASP signaling, nutrient-sensing and metabolic gerotherapeutics modulating mTOR, AMPK, autophagy, and mitochondrial adaptation, and homeostasis-restoring agents reinforcing redox, inflammatory, and circadian resilience. The Top 10 anchors, prioritized by bibliometric prominence rather than clinical ranking, illustrate both potential and limitations in human translation, while emerging candidates and platform innovations highlight ongoing progress toward precision geromedicine. This synthesis provides a structured framework for interpreting historical and contemporary literature, clarifies the relationship between multi-hallmark engagement and functional outcomes, and guides rational prioritization of candidate gerotherapeutics for future research.