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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice
Published on: February 3, 2017
Autophagy in aging and longevity
Shi Q Wong1, Anita V Kumar1, Joslyn Mills1
1Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Abstract:
Our understanding of the process of autophagy and its role in health and diseases has grown remarkably in the last two decades. Early work established autophagy as a general bulk recycling process which involves the sequestration and transport of intracellular material to the lysosome for degradation. Currently, autophagy is viewed as a nexus of metabolic and proteostatic signalling that can determine key physiological decisions from cell fate to organismal lifespan. Here, we review the latest literature on the role of autophagy and lysosomes in stress response and longevity. We highlight the connections between autophagy and metabolic processes, the network associated with its regulation, and the links between autophagic dysfunction, neurodegenerative diseases, and aging.
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