Researchers at the Buck Institute have discovered an important molecular process that influences ageing and age-related diseases. Central to this is a substance called coenzyme A, which assists with all sorts of reactions in our body's cells. However, this substance can also cause unwanted side effects: it not only reacts with the correct substances, but also with other proteins in the body. This leads to what scientists call ‘carbon stress’, a type of harmful burden on the cells.
The body has special enzymes to combat these harmful effects, including a group called sirtuins. These enzymes can repair the proteins so that they function properly again. The researchers mainly investigated sirtuin 5, which plays a role in detoxifying ammonia in the liver. This process is very important for our health, as an accumulation of ammonia can have serious consequences.
What makes this discovery special is that the understanding of these reactions was previously underestimated because they appeared to proceed only slowly. It now turns out that the body actually invests a lot of energy in regulating this mechanism. This emphasises the importance of such sophisticated molecular processes in maintaining our health and slowing down ageing.
This type of fundamental research helps us better understand how our cells remain healthy and opens up new avenues to manage ageing favourably. By better stimulating enzymes such as sirtuin 5, it may be possible in the future to slow down the ageing process.
Source: Buck Institute
