🔬TODAY’S BREAKTHROUGH
A major review pulls together all the core molecular drivers of aging and their links to age-related diseases, from DNA damage to dysbiosis, and shows how interventions from diet to senolytics can slow decline.
The Discovery:
The authors highlight that aging is driven by interconnected processes: DNA damage, telomere attrition, mitochondrial dysfunction, NAD+ loss, autophagy decline, stem cell exhaustion, cellular senescence, inflammation, proteostasis loss, dysregulated nutrient sensing, impaired cell communication, and gut dysbiosis.
These pathways fuel diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, and osteoarthritis. The review maps anti-aging strategies that can target these drivers simultaneously.
The Science:
DNA damage: fuels genomic instability, epigenetic drift, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular disease.
Telomere attrition: activates DDR, drives senescence, systemic inflammation, fibrosis, and degenerative disease.
Mitochondrial dysfunction: mtDNA mutations, ROS overload, metabolic decline, linked to diabetes, neurodegeneration, and progeria syndromes.
NAD+ decline: loss of sirtuin and PARP balance, undermining DNA repair, metabolism, and brain and muscle health.
Autophagy decline: impaired clearance of damaged proteins/organelles, driving neurodegeneration, heart and metabolic disease.
Stem cell exhaustion: reduced regeneration in blood, brain, muscle, and bone, contributing to frailty and impaired repair.
Cellular senescence: SASP spreads inflammation, accelerates osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, pulmonary fibrosis, fatty liver, and frailty.
Inflammation & proteostasis loss: NF-κB, reduced HSP70, misfolded proteins, protein clearance defects, raising risk of cancer and neurodegeneration.
Dysregulated nutrient sensing: IGF-1, mTOR, AMPK, sirtuins disrupted, promoting metabolic and cardiovascular disease.
Altered cell communication: blood-borne pro-aging factors (IL-6, TGF-β, CCL11, C1q) suppress neurogenesis, muscle repair, and immunity.
Gut dysbiosis: disrupts digestion, immunity, and brain signaling, linked to obesity, diabetes, colitis, and neurodegeneration.
Your Action:
Adopt proven anti-aging levers: calorie control, regular exercise, quality sleep, and gut health support. These directly impact mTOR, AMPK, NAD+, inflammation, and microbiome balance. Watch emerging compounds like rapamycin, metformin, spermidine, taurine, klotho, hyaluronan, PF4, and senolytics such as dasatinib + quercetin, fisetin, navitoclax, and HSP90 inhibitors, but wait for human data before use.
Bottom Line:
Aging is driven by multiple interacting processes, and targeting them together is the future of real longevity medicine.
Source:
Molecular mechanisms of aging and anti-aging strategies. Cell Communication and Signaling. Yumeng Li, Xutong Tian, Juyue Luo, Tongtong Bao, Shujin Wang, Xin Wu. Published: May, 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-024-01663-1
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Disclaimer:
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen.