Mitochondria and Organismal Longevity

Mitochondria and Organismal Longevity

Mitochondria are essential for various biological processes including cellular energy production. The oxidative stress theory of aging proposes that mitochondria play key roles in aging by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), which indiscriminately damage macromolecules and lead to an age-dependent decline in biological function. However, recent studies show that increased levels of ROS or...

Mitochondria fingerprint longevity in iPSCs

The recent and powerful technology of the human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), (stem cells that are reprogrammed from easily obtainable adult somatic cells such as skin fibroblasts), allows for example to study the pathogenesis of still poorly known human diseases, to perform drug screenings or even to be used in translational medicine [1]. Currently many human diseases suffer from the...

The role of mitochondria in longevity and healthspan

The role of mitochondria in aging and disease remains contentious more than 40 years after the mitochondrial free radical theory of aging was first proposed. As part of a wider cross-journal series on contemporary mitochondrial biology, Longevity & Healthspan presents a thematic series of four reviews that discuss the evidence for and against the modern incarnations of the theory, and examine t...

Mitochondria and the autophagy-inflammation-cell death axis in organismal aging.

Alterations of mitochondrial functions are linked to multiple degenerative or acute diseases. As mitochondria age in our cells, they become progressively inefficient and potentially toxic, and acute damage can trigger the permeabilization of mitochondrial membranes to initiate apoptosis or necrosis. Moreover, mitochondria have an important role in pro-inflammatory signaling. Autophagic turnover...

Organismal Differentials and Organ Differentials.