The relationship between apoptosis and aging

Apoptosis is involved in aging and age-related disease, with respect to aging, apoptosis acting in a cell typespecific manner. The rate of apoptosis is elevated inmost types of aging cell populations and organs. In stable cells and certain continuously dividing cells, apoptosis serves to eliminate presumably dysfunctional cells that show homeostatic failure due to oxidative stress, glycation, and DNA damage, thereby maintaining homeostasis in the body. What’s more, apoptosis, at least in part, plays some important role inthe regulation of aging process and anti-tumorigenesis in mammals. Age-enhanced apoptosis may be aninnate protective mechanism against age-associated tumorigenesis. There is clear evidence to indicate that senescent cells are remarkably resistant to apoptosis. The intensity of global apoptosis and autophagy clearance significantly declines in humans during aging, as aging repress the apoptotic response. In this paper, we will review the relationship between apoptosis and aging, and outline how are they interact each other.