Review

Pathophysiology of age-related diseases

Giuseppina Campisi¹ , Martina Chiappelli² , Massimo De Martinis³ , Vito Franco⁴ , Lia Ginaldi³ , Rosario Guiglia¹ , Federico Licastro² and Domenico Lio⁵

¹  University of Palermo, Department of Oral Sciences, Palermo, Italy

²  University of Bologna, Department of Experimental Pathology, Bologna, Italy

³  University of L'Aquila, Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, L'Aquila, Italy

⁴  University of Palermo, Department of Human Pathology, Palermo, Italy

⁵  University of Palermo, Department of Pathobiology and Biomedical Methodologies, Palermo, Italy

author email corresponding author email

Immunity & Ageing 2009, 6:12doi:10.1186/1742-4933-6-12

Published:	8 September 2009

Abstract

A Symposium regarding the Pathophysiology of Successful and Unsuccessful Ageing was held in Palermo, Italy on 7-8 April 2009. Three lectures from that Symposium by G. Campisi, L. Ginaldi and F. Licastro are here summarized. Ageing is a complex process which negatively impacts on the development of various bodily systems and its ability to function. A long life in a healthy, vigorous, youthful body has always been one of humanity's greatest dreams. Thus, a better understanding of the pathophysiology of age-related diseases is urgently required to improve our understanding of maintaining good health in the elderly and to program possible therapeutic intervention.