Abstract
In their recent study in Nature, Debès et al. report an increase in RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-mediated transcriptional elongation speed associated with chromatin remodeling during aging in four metazoan animals, two human cell lines, and human blood. Their findings might help us understand why we age through evolutionarily conserved essential processes, and open a window to the molecular and physiological mechanisms influencing healthspan, lifespan and/or longevity.