Study finds autophagy does not simply decline with age

Research published in Aging Cell by Sanford Burnham Prebys found that autophagy changes with age differently depending on cell type and sex: it fell in male skin cells, stayed stable in female skin cells, and rose in female-derived neurons. In adults 70+, higher autophagy was linked to worse physical function.

• Autophagy changes differently by cell type and by sex
• Autophagy fell with age in male skin cells but stayed stable in female skin cells
• In adults 70+, higher autophagy was linked to worse physical function
• Autophagy gene expression did not reflect actual recycling rates