Implicating TFAM in the Mitochondrial Dysfunction that Accelerates Immune Aging

This short commentary looks at just one cell type, T cells of the adaptive immune system, in which loss of mitochondrial function produces issues such as cellular senescence that contribute to broader degenerative aging throughout the body. Every cell contains hundreds of mitochondria, responsible for producing adenosine triphosphate, an energy store molecule used to power cellular processes. When that supply diminishes, everything suffers as a consequence: cell function, tissue function, health. With age, mitochondrial function is observed to decline throughout the body. This is likely the result of signaling and gene expression changes that hinder the quality control mechanism of mitophagy, and thus worn and damaged mitochondria are not effectively recycled. Deeper connections to the root causes of aging are not yet well understood, however. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key event in many pathologies and contributes to the ageing process. Mitochondria have been shown to participate in every aspect of ageing, from a decline in stem cell function and cellular senescence, through to the development of the low grade inflammatory state. Alterations that occur to mitochondria with age are numerous and can be observed in many different cells and tissues. Indeed, we have shown that human CD8+ T cells were more susceptible to senescence compared to their CD4+ counterparts as they displayed a lower mitochondrial content and postulated loss of mitochondrial function controls...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs