comment 1: The exceptions to the oxidative stress theory of aging (basically the evolved rate of living or free radical theory of aging) were explained by the membrane pacemaker theory of aging, whose own exceptions as pertains aging rate can be explained by the presence of antioxidant mechanisms such as the presence of plasmalogen molecules that act as sacrificial antioxidants.
Damage to membranes creates an autocatalytic chain reaction of damaging molecules that can bypass both lipid and aquatic sections of the cell damaging all components throughout the cell. Species with high metabolic rate and high lifespan, achieve this by altering membrane peroxidation index or otherwise altering membranes to make them more resistant to damage, particularly the mitochondrial membrane.
The neuron of mice when transplanted into rats' lives twice as long as mice do. It is believed that if transplanted into even longer-lived animals it'd live just as long as the host. Even in humans' neurons last over 110 years longer than the average lifespan, and again it too might live as long as a longer-lived host if transplanted into such.
So at the cellular level a near agelessness was achieved in neurons. Despite sustaining extensive genetic damage throughout the lifespan most seem to keep on working fine. The fact humans age despite having ageless cells, and even mice too, is due to planned obsolescence. Evolution optimizes lifespan to maximize evolvability, the rate of evolution for a particular species.
What can be done? Well look at insects despite the workers sharing same genome as queen, the lifespan difference can be up to dozens of times, iirc up to 100-fold difference in lifespan has been seen with different gene expression patterns. It may be that we can take the anti-aging mechanisms used by neurons, perhaps even a fraction of these, and express them throughout the body by altering gene expression to increase membrane resistance to damage.
comment 2: resveratrol failed due to fast liver clearance, in animals without fast liver clearance above 50% life extension is achieved, including in vertebrates. At very high dose it achieved over 20% life extension in primates albeit the group was too small to reach statistical significance. New formulations of resveratrol such as JOTROL shows good promise, and is now undergoing clinical trials for some conditions.
