Table 3.

Possible criteria and key factors for identifying a splicing factor or event as a “driver” of the aging process.

Criteria	Description
Causality and Temporality	Establish a causal relationship, demonstrating that changes in the factor or event precede or coincide with aging-related changes.
Functional Consequences	Investigate the functional consequences, especially regarding splicing patterns of genes involved in aging-related processes.
Consistency Across Tissues and Species	Observe consistent alterations in multiple tissues and across species during aging.
Impact on Health and Longevity	Assess associations with age-related health outcomes, disease susceptibility, and overall longevity.
Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation	Explore genetic mutations or epigenetic modifications linked to changes in the splicing factor or event during aging.
Relevance to Age-Related Diseases	Examine its contribution to age-related diseases, indicating a role in aging.
Biological Mechanisms	Investigate its impact on cellular processes, signaling pathways, and molecular pathways associated with aging.
Modification by Interventions	Determine if interventions can modulate the factor or event, influencing aging.
Longitudinal Studies	Track changes over an individual’s or organism’s lifespan to understand its evolution with age.
Population Variability	Consider variability across different individuals and populations.
Comparisons of phenotype profiles “Young”/”Aged”	Compare profiles in aged individuals to those of younger individuals.
Contribution to Hallmarks of Aging	Evaluate its contribution to recognized hallmarks of aging.