Secret to a Long Health Span
It is clear that infections, and especially chronic ones that are intracellular, lead to cellular senescence and eventually to biological aging of the individual. Senescence in one cell begets senescence in the other and the domino effect spreads around the body just like prions spread, if phagocytsis does not clear the defective cells. In fact, this is easily mediated by amyloids, if not by inflammatory mediators produced by senescent cells themselves. Dealing with senescence has been most challenging from the medical point of view. However, advances in research are yielding fruits. It has been found that senescent cells are produced due to mild stress that allows the cells to mount a chronic damage response, involving P53, HSP with protein misfolding response that includes protein folding, autophagy and some repair. It is only when autophagy is overwhelmed, that senescence sets in, in full gear. The cell stops growing. Research has shown that senescent cells become resistant to...