The role of peroxisomes in aging

Reactive oxygen species and alterations in membrane lipid homeostasis are thought to be important events in aging process and aging-related degenerative diseases. The peroxisome is a small cellular organelle involved in both oxygen and lipid metabolism, and defects in peroxisomal function are associated with major, and often fatal, changes at the neurological level during human development. Recent reports of aging-related changes in peroxisomal function raised the hypothesis that peroxisomes may also have a significant role in the aging process and aging-related degenerative diseases. This review presents the current data on changes in peroxisomal function during aging and discusses the implications of these changes for health.