Mitochondria and Antiaging Medicine: Mitochondria and Antiaging

Mitochondria have long been known as intracellular organelles that play a central role in energy metabolism by producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), the TCA cycle, and beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Furthermore, mitochondria are thought to be involved in various biological aspects related to aging, such as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), genome stability, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication, mitophagy, telomere function, and cellular aging. These mitochondrial functions decline with aging and have been reported by various researchers to underlie the pathogenic mechanisms of age-related diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and Alzheimer’s disease [1]. It has also been suggested that mitochondria mediate the benefits of calorie restriction, which delays the onset of age-related diseases and extends the lifespan of the individual, thus increasing the importance of mitochondrial research in anti-aging medicine.