Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2025
06:18
Assessing Lysosomal Alkalinization in the Intestine of Live Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: April 13, 2018
6.2K
Autophagy and the hallmarks of aging
Susmita Kaushik1, Inmaculada Tasset2, Esperanza Arias3
1Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, USA; Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, USA.
Ageing Research Reviews
|September 26, 2021
Summary
Autophagy, a cellular process, is crucial for maintaining proteostasis and preventing aging. Dysfunctional autophagy accelerates aging, but targeting it offers therapeutic potential for extending healthspan.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Aging Research
- Molecular Gerontology
Background:
- Autophagy is a fundamental cellular mechanism for degrading damaged proteins and organelles, vital for proteostasis.
- Aging is associated with impaired autophagy, leading to a decline in cellular quality control and proteostasis.
- Autophagy interacts dynamically with other aging hallmarks, underscoring its central role in the aging process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the contribution of autophagy to healthspan and lifespan.
- To examine the bidirectional interplay between autophagy and the hallmarks of aging.
- To discuss therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy for aging intervention.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on autophagy and aging.
- Analysis of evidence linking autophagic pathways to aging hallmarks.
- Evaluation of ongoing therapeutic efforts to modulate autophagy for geroprotection.
Main Results:
- Autophagy plays a significant role in maintaining healthspan and lifespan.
- Bidirectional interactions between autophagy and aging hallmarks are evident.
- Targeting autophagy is a promising strategy for developing interventions to slow aging.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy is a central player in the aging process, influencing multiple aging hallmarks.
- Modulating autophagy holds significant potential for therapeutic interventions aimed at extending healthspan and lifespan.
- Further research into autophagy modulators is warranted for aging-related diseases.
Related Concept Videos
01:36Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome
8.1K
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...
8.1K
01:27Autophagy
4.9K
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,...
4.9K
01:37Mitochondria
15.8K
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,...
15.8K
01:18Autophagic Cell Death
3.6K
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...
3.6K
01:26Aging
336
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...
336
01:17Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells
4.1K
Cells undergoing apoptosis form apoptotic bodies that must be removed immediately to prevent inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and necrosis. Phagocytosis is carried out by professional phagocytes such as macrophages or immature dendritic cells. Non-professional phagocytes such as epithelial cells and fibroblasts also take part in this process; however, they are not as effective as professional phagocytes.
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized...
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized...
4.1K