Efferocytosis in the Context of Aging and Age-Related Disease

There is something of a tradition in the aging research community of writing reviews that attempt to summarize everything that is known of a single specific cellular behavior in the context of the panoply of cell and tissue dysfunction observed in aging. Today it is the turn of efferocytosis, the clearance of dying cells and their immediate debris by phagocytes such as macrophages of the innate immune system. It is fairly straightforward to mount an argument to suggest that more efficient efferocytosis is a good thing, as unwanted consequences attend the presence of lingering cell corpses cluttering up tissue. Like autophagy, the mechanisms making up efferocytosis are fairly well mapped, but unlike autophagy, there is no great effort underway in the research community to find ways to improve efferocytosis for functional benefit. Efferocytosis is carried out by professional phagocytes, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, and other nonprofessional cells, to engulf apoptotic cells (ACs). Initially, phagocytes expeditiously and securely eliminate the membrane structure of the deceased cell before its disintegration and subsequent release into adjacent tissue. This process serves to safeguard the surrounding tissue against the deleterious effects induced by toxic enzymes, oxidants, and intracellular components, such as protease antibodies and caspases within ACs. Additionally, efferocytosis can generate a significant number of biological factors, including vascular endo...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs