Scientists have long searched for the single root cause of aging, but research now points to multiple interacting mechanisms — from molecular damage to cellular dysfunction to whole-system decline. This review from NPJ Aging charts how our understanding of aging theories has evolved and surveys anti-aging strategies that have emerged from this work. A central focus is partial reprogramming using Yamanaka factors, a technique that can partially reset a cell's epigenetic clock without erasing its identity. The authors examine recent progress in making this approach safer and more effective, and outline the key obstacles still standing between laboratory promise and clinical reality. For anyone tracking longevity medicine, this is a useful map of where the field stands and where it is heading.
