An international study on the role of mitophagy in aging, published in 'Nature Metabolism', also bears the signature of Anna Picca, associate professor in Applied Biology at the Department of Medicine and Surgery of the Lum 'Giuseppe Degennaro' University. Mitophagy, i.e. the removal and recycling of damaged mitochondria, is a process of primary importance for the cell, so much so that it is considered a 'warning light' of health for the organism as a whole. Mitophagy dysfunction has recently been included among the processes that characterize aging and the development of several pathological conditions. Studies on mitophagy and its activators have reached the clinical phase and have confirmed the central role of this biological process for human health.
“Maintaining mitochondrial functionality is essential to guarantee a series of cellular processes – explains Picca – and mitophagy, by removing and recycling damaged mitochondria, participates in the regulation of the biogenesis of new organelles in order to preserve their quality and function. Mitophagy plays a role so central to the cell that it is considered a hallmark of cellular and organismal health. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that impaired mitophagy negatively affects cellular economy and contributes to the development of age-related chronic diseases. Strategies to enhance mitophagy have been successfully tested in model organisms and, recently, some have reached the clinical stage and confirmed the central role of this biological process for human health.”
In this literature review, explains the professor from the University of Bari, “we describe the basic mechanisms, clinical studies and biomarkers of the mitophagy process in humans. We also discuss the role of mitophagy in specific conditions and describe the approaches of activation of mitophagy successfully tested in humans, including exercise and nutritional and pharmacological interventions.Finally, we describe how mitophagy is linked to other features of aging through general mechanisms such as inflammation and oxidative stress, and the importance of further studies for a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying aging and the development of strategies aimed at healthy aging”.
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