That aging is a natural process that we all suffer over time is something that is clear to the whole world, but processes that can help mitigate the negative effects and even to “improve” aging They are an open field in the life and health sciences.
However, autophagy is making its way as a biological process that promises more positive aging, with fewer diseases and a wide range of benefits. Despite everything, research is still ongoing and there is still much to discover about this fascinating topic, so what is autophagy and what is the scientific consensus on it?
What is autophagy?
The use of the word “autophagy” has been recorded since the mid-19th century, but it was not until 1963 that Christian de Duve, a Belgian biochemist, coined the concept as we know it today. By 1990, research was conducted on genes related to autophagy, which in 2016 awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine to Japanese biologist Yoshiro Ohsumi.
In a nutshell, Autophagy is a cellular process characteristic of complex organisms. Biology divides organisms into eukaryotes and prokaryotes, the former being the most complex, as eukaryotes are basically living things composed of multiple types of cells, such as plants, animals, or fungi.
We can exercise our imagination and think that the cells that make up our bodies are like little factories that are constantly working and making and breaking down materials to keep us in good physical condition. However, sometimes these factories accumulate damaged or old materials that are no longer useful.
in that way autophagy is responsible for cleaning cells. It is the process of removing and recycling waste so that machinery can function properly. This helps our cells remain stable and their functions are not worn out, which is common as we age.
If autophagy remains efficient, our cells stay in good condition, and recent studies even suggest that this process can prevent age-related diseases and thus promote a longer, healthier life.
Autophagy and disease
It also helps prevent the accumulation of misfolded proteins that are associated with disease. such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. Likewise, this process keeps the mitochondria of our cells healthy and helps prevent their oxidation. Likewise, the functioning of stem cells has been found to be linked to autophagy and the immune system.
The investigation doesn’t end there, either The extent to which this process correlates with cancer is under investigation. According to a study published in Nature, the relationship between this disease and autophagy is complex. In some cases, autophagy can contribute to the survival of cancer cells, making them more resistant to treatment, although there are also contexts in which this process can induce the programmed death of tumor cells and inhibit tumor growth.
Similarly, various investigations have pointed to the use of drugs and therapies aimed at modulating autophagy with the intention of using it as a mechanism to improve the physical condition of patients. Until now, we are still looking for a way to manage this process, but not without many challenges that complicate the task.
During 2019, an article was also published in Nature and written by researchers from France’s Sorbonne, raised a more than intelligent question: Which comes first, the cellular problem or the disease? The question is not simple, much less tricky. When we have health problems, a lot of cellular waste is produced, but will removing it improve our health? The answer is that we have no answer.
So far, much has been said about autophagy, although it remains a positive system for our health that can be harnessed to improve aging and live a more fulfilling life in old age. Although it has been suggested that fasting can stimulate autophagy cellularly, we are not sure how this can affect clinically, so we have to wait a while to better understand this interesting process.
