Preservation of Autophagy May Be a Mechanism Behind Healthy Aging.

ABSTRACT: Autophagy is intricately linked with protective cellular processes, including mitochondrial function, proteostasis, and cellular senescence. Animal studies have indicated that autophagy becomes dysfunctional with aging and may contribute to T cell immunosenescence. In humans, it remains unclear whether autophagy is impaired in CD4⁺ T cells as people age. To answer this question, we examined basal and inducible autophagic activity in a series of experiments comparing CD4⁺ T cells from younger (23-35 years old) and older (67-93 years old) healthy donors. We used immunofluorescence to detect LC3 (a marker of autophagosomes and autolysosomes) and LAMP2 (a marker of endolysosomes) in conjunction with bafilomycin A₁ (which inhibits the acidification of lysosomes)

SUBMITTER: Bektas A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12611306 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature