The central role of chromatin maintenance in aging

Epigenetic regulation of chromatin and the DNA damage response are now well appreciated key players in human aging. What contributions chromatin and DAN repair make to aging, whether they are causal, and how these relate to other aging pathways, however, is unclear. Novel insights into the aging-related molecular mechanisms that link chromatin and DNA damage repair have recently been gained by studying models of both premature and physiological aging. Here we discuss these findings and we propose a broad framework for the role of chromatin in aging to reconcile apparently contradicting evidence obtained in various experimental systems.