As we age, more “old” cells accumulate in our bodies. These cells stop dividing but remain active and can cause inflammation. Normally, immune cells clear these cells, but as we age, this clearance becomes increasingly inefficient. This is partly caused by a decrease in a special cleaning process in our cells, called chaperone-mediated autophagy.
This clearance process recognizes damaged proteins and ensures that they are broken down in the cell. In older people and animals, this system works less well, causing old cells to be cleared less quickly. As a result, they remain longer and can contribute to aging problems such as inflammation and tissue damage. Furthermore, these old cells appear to release substances that further disrupt the clearance function of immune cells.
Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine were able to reactivate the chaperone-mediated autophagy process in older mice with a special agent. This reduced the amount of old cells and improved the health of the tissue. In addition, in a lung disease associated with aging, this resulted in less damage and faster healing.
These insights show that stimulating the natural clearance process in cells may help reduce the harmful effects of aging cells. This could be an important step in promoting healthy aging and preventing age-related diseases.
Source: Arkadi Mazin
