Fig. 2: Aging-linked mitochondrial impairments limit the benefits of metabolic stressor treatments at old age.
From: Too old for healthy aging? Exploring age limits of longevity treatments
The figure summarizes key interventions that promote healthy longevity by inflicting moderate mitochondrial and metabolic stress. At young age (left panel) these moderate stressors act as boosters of functional resilience for healthy aging triggering cellular remodeling towards elevated defense responses and metabolic plasticity. Conversely, at old age (right panel) these adaptive activities are blunted by mitochondrial aging leading, in case of a simple organism C. elegans, to energy exhaustion and premature death. While immediate death is not expected in more complex organisms, hints of reduced late life benefits and elevated degenerative side effects are seen also in higher species.
