In the recent years, the ageing of the population has progressively raised in relation to the increase of the average life expectancy. The life span has been supported by the availability of advanced and targeted care and by the awareness of the importance of prevention, besides the decrease of the birth rate. A similar trend for the future has been estimated both for the higher- and for the lower-income countries. At the same time, epidemiological estimates describe an exponential increase in age-related diseases, among which dementia, cancer and cardiovascular diseases represent the greatest challenge. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of aging may disrupt the activities of the homeostatic systems, driving deficit accumulation, the decline of physical and cognitive functions, the development of sarcopenia and chronic diseases with disability. Frailty is a syndrome characterized by the reduction in the resistance to endogenous and exogenous stressors, leading to the increase an individual’s vulnerability to the diseases. The biological age captures the discrepancy between the chronological age and the age based on individual’s biological and clinical information. The aim of this Collection is to provide a better understanding of the molecular, cellular and integrative mechanisms of the development of frailty and of the pace of aging. This may lead to better elucidate the diagnostic and prognostic value of frailty and chronological age for the subjects affected by age-related diseases. A deeper knowledge of the specific profile and their multiple components may give a chance to a more efficient treatment in a personalized manner. Possible topics include: Basic mechanisms and profiles of genomic instability, epigenetic changes, loss of proteostasis, disabled autophagy, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, altered intercellular communication, stem cell exhaustion, dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, hormonal and metabolic dysregulation, as areas involved in the frailty and the biological age. Strategies and newly developed compounds to enhance fit behaviors and evidence that the pace of aging is malleable. Debate and research on advantages and disadvantages of measures of frailty and chronological age with respect to their predictive role in chronic diseases and in the outcomes after specific treatment. Additional investigation and discussion on other candidates as that may offer new and alternative diagnostic possibilities for the aging mechanisms. Translational value and applications of treating frailty of modify the biological age of the patients.

Ventral hernias are among the most common surgical diseases. Their prevalence is increasing across the world over the last decades accounting for over 400.000 surgeries annually in the United States. Incisional hernias represent a common complication of abdominal surgery with an incidence ranging from 2% to 20%. The burden of hernia disease has been steadily increasing affecting both health and quality of life of hernia sufferers and having a huge socioeconomic impact. “A surgeon can do more for the community by operating on hernia cases and seeing that his recurrence rate is low than he can by operating on cases of malignant disease”. This is what Sir. Cecil Wakely, President of the Royal College of Surgeons (England) said in 1948. The introduction of new techniques, the evolution of technology, the development of materials, and the new fixation methods are contributing to the achievement of better outcomes in terms of recurrence, pain, surgical site occurrence, recovery, and quality of life. The adoption of mini-invasive approaches, together with the concept of abdominal wall reconstruction, is further raising the bar and pushing hernia surgery beyond the previous borders. With the expansion of mini-invasive technique options, the surgeon may perform complex procedures with greater precision and less surgical trauma. Considering the recognized international interest in this disease, this Special Issue aims to present the latest research on the advances in minimally invasive surgery for ventral hernias, the advantages and drawbacks, the clinical outcomes, the economic impact and the surgical perspectives. We will also cover many of the current important topics related to minimally invasive ventral hernia repair, including indications for surgery and comparisons with open surgery, technical factors, novel techniques, minimally invasive management of hernias in emergency, and the management of intraoperative and postoperative complications.