Mitochondrial Health and the Network of Aging Pathways

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• Mitochondria in the Aging Process
• Pillars and Hallmarks of Aging
• Aging Pathways as an Interconnected Network
• Exercise for Mitochondrial and Metabolic Health
• Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Turnover
• Lifestyle Interventions for Longevity
• Full Transcript

Mitochondria in the Aging Process

Mitochondria play a significant role in the biology of aging. Dr. Brian Kennedy, MD, has conducted extensive research on the function of these cellular powerhouses. The central question is how to keep mitochondria young and healthy as we age. Dr. Kennedy provides a worldview on aging pathways to frame this discussion. He notes that many interventions known to extend lifespan impact mitochondrial function directly or indirectly.

Pillars and Hallmarks of Aging

Approximately a decade ago, seminal papers outlined the hallmarks and pillars of aging. Dr. Brian Kennedy, MD, was involved in this foundational work that identified seven to nine key pathways. These pathways collectively affect the aging process in profound ways. The initial hypothesis was that specific interventions would target single pathways, like mitochondrial function. However, research shows that these treatments affect all the interconnected aging pathways simultaneously.

Aging Pathways as an Interconnected Network

Dr. Brian Kennedy, MD, proposes that these aging pathways are best understood as a network. This network works diligently to maintain an individual's health against accumulating damage. The body strives to preserve homeostasis throughout life. Eventually, the cumulative burden of damage can overwhelm this system. This breakdown leads to a more rapid functional decline and the onset of age-related diseases. Dr. Kennedy believes interventions target this entire network, not just isolated pillars.

Exercise for Mitochondrial and Metabolic Health

The single best intervention for mitochondrial health remains exercise. Dr. Brian Kennedy, MD, strongly advocates for sustainable exercise routines. A combination of endurance and resistance training offers immense benefits. This type of physical activity directly improves the metabolism of muscle tissue. Muscle is a major metabolic organ that protects against diabetes and other conditions. Dr. Anton Titov, MD, and Dr. Kennedy discuss the direct, evidence-based impact of movement on cellular health.

Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Turnover

Specific biological pathways govern mitochondrial health, namely biogenesis and mitophagy. Mitochondrial biogenesis is the process of generating new mitochondria. Mitophagy is the essential cleanup process that removes damaged mitochondria. Dr. Brian Kennedy, MD, explains that research is focused on how these pathways are linked to aging. Successfully turning over damaged organelles and creating new ones is crucial for health. Enhancing these processes is a promising avenue for slowing aging.

Lifestyle Interventions for Longevity

Beyond pharmaceuticals, lifestyle changes are powerful, accessible tools for longevity. Dr. Brian Kennedy, MD, highlights the importance of a healthy diet alongside exercise. These interventions are available to people today and require no prescription. They confer a huge benefit by supporting a longer, healthier healthspan. Dr. Anton Titov, MD, engages with Dr. Kennedy on these practical strategies. The conversation underscores that supporting the body's network is key to delaying age-related decline.

Full Transcript

Dr. Brian Kennedy, MD: Mitochondria play a significant role in aging. You've done a lot of research on the role of mitochondria. So how to keep mitochondria young and healthy? I think that we can talk about mitochondria.

Let me give you my worldview on these aging pathways first. If you look at the interventions that extend lifespan, mTOR pathway, rapamycin, Metformin, sirtuin activators, I could go on. We're testing a bunch of them in my labs.

And then you might say that about 10 years ago, there were these papers on the hallmarks of aging, another paper on the pillars of aging that I was involved with. And we laid out nine or seven pathways, respectively, that affect the aging process.

And you might expect that these interventions affect one of those pathways like mitochondrial function. But when you read it out, it turns out they affect all of the aging pathways. And so I think of these readouts as kind of guideposts.

These aging pathways are kind of guideposts in the things that are important for aging. But really, I believe it's a network that maintains health. And all of these pillars, all hallmarks are connected to each other.

And so really, it's a systems biology question. Your body is working really hard to keep you healthy in the face of damage and other events that may happen to you as you grow older.

Eventually, enough things go wrong that you can't maintain that homeostasis anymore. Then things begin to break down and you have a more rapid functional decline and disease onset, etc.

I really think that these interventions are not targeting one pillar. What they're doing is targeting the network.

So the reason I bring all that up is that probably still the best thing you can do for your mitochondria is exercise. I mean, if you're doing sustainable exercise that involves endurance and a little bit of resistance training, you're definitely helping the metabolism of your muscle, which is a big tissue in your body, and protects you from diabetes and a whole range of other things.

Healthy diets, all of these lifestyle changes are worth mentioning, because people can do them today. And they help you live a longer, healthier lifespan in doing it. So that's a huge benefit.

In terms of mitochondrial health, more specifically, there are a lot of pathways involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and in mitochondrial turnover like mitophagy. And we're trying to understand how those pathways are linked to aging.

And certainly, if you can turn over damaged mitochondria and make new ones, then you're certainly better off. That's one of the pathways that drives aging.

But I don't know that there are interventions that just specifically target mitochondria. I think what they do is preserve network function.