As we now know,
a complex chain of events causes faulty
mitochondria to take over a small number of your cells as you age, causing them to spew forth damaging
free radicals into your body. From a recent paper in
Nature: "Many lines of evidence suggest that mitochondria have a central role in
ageing-related neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondria are critical regulators of cell death, a key feature of neurodegeneration. Mutations in
mitochondrial DNA and
oxidative stress both contribute to ageing, which is the greatest risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. ... Thus, therapies targeting basic mitochondrial processes, such as energy metabolism or
free-radical generation, or specific interactions of disease-related proteins with mitochondria, hold great promise."
View the Article Under Discussion:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature05292
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/