Lost Connections: How a Soviet Scientist’s Work Foreshadowed Modern Aging Research
ALBANY, NY – November 19, 2025 – A new analysis published in Aging reveals striking conceptual parallels between two prominent theories of aging – Mikhail Blagosklonny’s hyperfunction theory and Vladimir Dilman‘s elevation theory – suggesting a previously underappreciated intergenerational transfer of ideas in the fields of aging and cancer research. The study highlights how Dilman’s early work focusing on the hypothalamus may have laid groundwork for Blagosklonny’s later investigations into the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein complex.
The connection matters now as the global population ages, and the search for interventions to extend healthy lifespan intensifies. Understanding the historical roots of these theories can prevent rediscovery of established concepts and potentially accelerate progress. The stakes are high: age-related diseases represent a massive burden on healthcare systems worldwide, and identifying basic mechanisms of aging is crucial for developing effective therapies. Further exploration of Dilman’s legacy, the study argues, could unlock new avenues for research and potentially reveal overlooked insights.
The Aging article, authored by Golubev et al., examines the intellectual lineage between Dilman and Blagosklonny, considering their shared educational backgrounds and the author’s personal experience working in dilman’s laboratory in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Dilman’s elevation theory posited that aging results from a progressive increase in the activity of specific brain structures, particularly the hypothalamus, leading to disruptions in homeostasis. Blagosklonny’s hyperfunction theory, developed decades later, proposes that aging is driven by constitutive activation of signaling pathways, notably mTOR, which promotes growth and proliferation but also contributes to cellular damage.
The analysis suggests that both theories share a common thread: the idea that an overactive system, whether a brain region or a signaling pathway, is a primary driver of aging. The author notes that Dilman’s focus on the hypothalamus as a central regulator of aging anticipated the later identification of mTOR as a key downstream effector of hypothalamic control.
Though, Dilman’s scientific contributions have received less recognition than they deserve, potentially due to biases in citation practices and the sheer volume of research published in the field of aging. The study points out that the exponential growth of the aging literature can obscure pioneering work from earlier decades. The authors emphasize the importance of acknowledging Dilman’s legacy to ensure a more complete understanding of the history and evolution of aging research.
The research is published under an open access licence (Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0),allowing for unrestricted use,distribution,and reproduction with appropriate credit to the original authors and source.