Promoting longevity with less cancer: The 2022 International Conference on Aging and Cancer

Abstract

Abstract Aging and cancer are increasingly becoming big challenges for public health worldwide due to increased human life expectancy. Meanwhile, aging is one of the major risk factors for cancer. In December 2019, the first International Conference on Aging and Cancer was held in Haikou, Hainan province (island), China, preluding the establishment of the International Center for Aging and Cancer (ICAC) at Hainan, an institute dedicated to the research at the intersection of aging and cancer. Since then, the ICAC has hosted the annual conference each December in Hainan. The 2022 ICAC conference, with the theme of “promoting longevity with less cancer,” invited 17 internationally renowned scientists to share their new research and insights. Topics included DNA methylation in rejuvenation, development, and cellular senescence; lifespan regulation and longevity manipulation; metabolism and aging; cellular senescence and diseases; and novel therapeutics for cancer and antiaging/anticancer drug discovery. The forum highlighted the interconnectedness of aging and senescence with cancer evolution and risk. Although there is hope for preventing diseases like cancer by modulating systems that also control lifespan, attention has to be paid to the conflicting needs and competing demands in human biology.