Ageing is driven by metabolic shifts that disrupt cellular function over time. This research explores how pro-ageing metabolic reprogramming accelerates decline, linking it to key hallmarks of ageing. Understanding these processes could unlock new strategies to delay ageing and enhance healthspan through targeted metabolic interventions.
September 2024 – Engineering
Key takeaways
- Metabolism drives ageing process: The PAMRP theory posits that ageing is driven by degenerative metabolic reprogramming, where pro-aging substrates and triggers accumulate over time, leading to cellular and genetic changes. This metabolic shift disrupts homeostasis, contributing to age-related decline and disease
- Caloric restriction extends healthspan: Caloric restriction (CR) is highlighted as a powerful intervention to delay ageing by enhancing metabolic efficiency, reducing oxidative stress, and promoting mitochondrial function. CR mimics metabolic adaptations that support longevity and improve overall health
- Pro-aging triggers accelerate decline: Ageing is influenced by both intrinsic (e.g., oxidative stress, inflammation) and extrinsic (e.g., diet, toxins) triggers. These factors interact with pre-existing metabolic changes, accelerating cellular damage and functional decline, which underpins the ageing process
- Polypharmacology targets multiple ageing pathways: The study suggests that compounds like metformin and resveratrol, which target multiple metabolic pathways, offer promising anti-ageing benefits. These polypharmacological approaches address various hallmarks of ageing, potentially delaying or reversing age-related metabolic dysfunction
Read the article at: Wang, Zhiguo, and Baofeng Yang. “Pro-Aging Metabolic Reprogramming: A Unified Theory of Aging.” Engineering, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.09.010.
