Understanding age-related diseases: report of the 2015 Ageing Summit

The Ageing Summit was held on 10–12th February, 2015 in London. The aim was to discuss advances in the understanding of ageing and the intriguing link with concomitant disorders of the ageing brain, heart and lung. The summit encompassed four thematic sessions of research: cell biology, anti-ageing processes, (epi)genetic regulation and age-related diseases. Based on the nine hallmarks of ageing, this report provides a synopsis of the multidisciplinary meeting on the ageing process, and highlights the most relevant results related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Since ageing may mechanistically link COPD and its comorbidities, this overview is of interest to clinicians and researchers. To understand age-related diseases, we must explore how ageing fosters conditions from which these diseases sprout