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Does somatic mutation accumulation cause ageing?

Determine whether the accumulation of somatic mutations is a causal driver of ageing in mammals, distinguishing causation from correlation across tissues and cell types.

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Background

The causal role of somatic mutations in ageing has been debated for decades. This entry appears among open problems that are well represented in the literature.

Resolving causality would clarify mechanistic priorities and inform intervention strategies aimed at genome maintenance.

References

Table 1: Examples of open problems with significant representation in the literature, categorised by topic. Does somatic mutation accumulation cause ageing?

— Open problems in ageing science: A roadmap for biogerontology (2507.18602 - Talay et al., 24 Jul 2025) in Table 1, Results