From Phys.Org:
How we grow old gracefully—and whether we can do anything to slow down the process—has long been a fascination of humanity. However, despite continued research the answer to how we can successfully combat aging still remains elusive.
…As we get older, our cells produce inflammatory proteins that further promote aging. Cancer treatments also cause this same inflammatory process by damaging cells, which can then prevent treatments from working well in patients. The new research, which is co-led by Professor Stephen Tait and his team at the School of Cancer Sciences, reports a key inflammatory role for our cells’ energy-producing organelles, mitochondria. The researchers found that in old cells—or following cancer therapy—mitochondria become leaky, releasing DNA that promotes inflammation and, as a result, aging. The team then discovered that if they could prevent the mitochondria from becoming leaky, this in turn blocked inflammation and improved health during aging.
Their discovery suggests that targeting mitochondrial-driven inflammation may offer a new way to promote healthy aging, as well as improve the response to cancer therapies.
More here.