**1. Introduction**

680 Pharmacology

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The aging process not only affects the whole body, but also affects individual cells. While the age-related changes in the body are popularly recognized as wrinkling of the skin, indicating alterations in basement membrane proteins, the processes of cellular aging are less well defined. The underlying common theme of cellular aging and whole body aging seems to be an increase in oxidative stress. Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), which are widely accepted to alter basement membrane proteins, also increase oxidative stress. Reactive dicarbonyls, such as methylglyoxal (MG), formed during glycolysis and other metabolic processes are precursors of AGEs formation and triggers of oxidative stress. MG, AGEs and oxidative stress are very likely to induce DNA damage and be at the root of cellular aging. Thus, a strategy to prevent an elevation of MG, formation of AGEs and the associated oxidative stress has great therapeutic potential to slow the aging process at the cellular and the whole body level.
