Aging Alters Brain's Recycling Process

New research from the University of Helsinki reveals that mitophagy, the process of recycling damaged mitochondria, varies across brain regions and cell types as mammals age. Contrary to previous beliefs, mitophagy does not universally decline with age; instead, it increases in motor-related cells and fluctuates in memory-related cells, peaking in midlife before declining in old age. The study also finds that aging lysosomes lose acidity, a change similar to those seen in Alzheimer's models, suggesting midlife as a critical period for interventions in neurodegenerative diseases.