How to slow down aging? Researchers find fresh clue
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have found a fresh clue to how aging works: a process called ER-phagy, where parts of our cells' inner "factory" (the endoplasmic reticulum, or ER) get remodeled as we get older.
This shift happens across yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mammals, and the findings just dropped in Nature Cell Biology.
ER's shape shifts as we age
As we age, the ER inside our cells changes shape—from busy protein-making sheets to more relaxed tubes that handle fats.
The team spotted these changes using advanced microscopes and confirmed they happen across many species, including mammals.
Findings could lead to new anti-aging drugs
ER-phagy proceeds independently of classical unfolded protein response branches, such as ATF-6 and PERK.
If certain genes tied to autophagy are disrupted, this remodeling stops.
Interestingly, blocking mTOR (a common drug target) extends lifespan in a manner that requires ER-phagy and produces ER architectures resembling those of young animals—hinting that targeting this process could help fight diseases like Alzheimer's or diabetes down the line.