With a record number of Americans turning 60 - an estimated 8,000 baby boomers a day - the search for the fountain of youth is quickly turning into a race.

"There are major challenges out there in thinking about human aging. The biggest challenge is disease," said Gordon Lithgow, of the Buck Institute for Age Research.

That challenge is the concept behind the newly emerging field of aging research called geroscience

"If we understand the basic mechanisms of aging, we'll be able to tackle these diseases simultaneously," said Pankaj Kapahi, aging researcher at the Buck Institute for Age Research.

KING

With a record number of Americans turning 60 - an estimated 8,000 baby boomers a day - the search for the fountain of youth is quickly turning into a race.

At the Buck Institute for Age Research outside of San Francisco, scientists are studying worms, fruit flies and mice. Not only do these critters age a lot like humans, they also share many of the same aging and disease genes. By altering some of those genes - researchers have been able to extend the life-span of their tiny test subjects.

But that's not all that's happening. The tweak in aging genes also delayed the onset of age-related diseases.

Researchers believe that one day it will be possible to come up with anti-aging treatments that not only help keep the body young, but also keep it disease free.

The National Institute of Health has pledged millions of dollars supporting the work of geroscientists.