Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
08:35
In Situ Immunofluorescent Staining of Autophagy in Muscle Stem Cells
Published on: June 12, 2017
10.9K
This old heart: Cardiac aging and autophagy
Phyllis-Jean Linton1, Michael Gurney1, David Sengstock2
1Donald P. Shiley BioScience Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
|December 28, 2014
Summary
Autophagy, a cellular process, declines with age, impacting heart function. However, the aged human heart shows an intact autophagic response, suggesting therapeutic potential for age-related cardiac issues.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Cellular Biology
- Aging Research
Background:
- Autophagy is a vital cellular process for maintaining tissue homeostasis, especially in cardiomyocytes.
- Age-related decline in autophagic activity is linked to cardiac dysfunction.
- Understanding age-related changes in cardiac autophagy is crucial for cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current knowledge on age-related changes in cardiac autophagy.
- To present recent findings from human heart studies on autophagy.
- To explore the therapeutic potential of modulating autophagy in aging hearts.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cardiac autophagy and aging.
- Analysis of recent studies investigating autophagy in human hearts.
- Synthesis of evidence on the functional consequences of impaired autophagy.
Main Results:
- Autophagic activity generally declines with age, contributing to cardiac dysfunction.
- Recent human studies indicate that the autophagic response remains intact in the aged human heart.
- Impaired autophagic clearance of damaged components has significant negative consequences for the heart.
Conclusions:
- Despite age-related declines, the aged human heart maintains an intact autophagic response.
- Impaired autophagy leads to increased arrhythmia risk, reduced contractile function, and inflammation.
- Targeting autophagy presents a promising therapeutic strategy to address age-related cardiac dysfunction.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Autophagy
6.5K
Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
6.5K
01:36Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome
10.6K
Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
10.6K
01:22Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy
7
Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
7
01:18Autophagic Cell Death
5.1K
Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
5.1K
01:37Mitochondria
21.7K
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
21.7K
01:26Aging
1.1K
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
1.1K