Cells Adapt to Aging by Actively Remodeling Endoplasmic Reticulum, Study Reveals

A hidden cellular process may drive aging and disease

As we age, our cells don’t just wear down—they reorganize. Researchers found that cells actively remodel a key structure called the endoplasmic reticulum, reducing protein-producing regions while preserving fat-related ones. This process, driven by ER-phagy, is tied to lifespan and healthy aging. Because these changes happen early, they could help trigger later disease—or offer a chance to stop it.

Cells adapt to aging by actively remodeling endoplasmic reticulum, study reveals

Improvements in public health have allowed humankind to survive to older ages than ever before, but, for many people, these added golden years are not spent in good health. Aging is a natural part of life, but it is associated with a greatly increased incidence of most chronic diseases, including various cancers, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.

Aging, Autophagy, and Longevity Linked via Conserved ER Remodeling Program

Aging alters nearly every cellular system, but how these changes unfold at the level of intracellular architecture has remained difficult to capture. In a new study published in Nature Cell Biology, researchers uncover a conserved, age-dependent remodeling of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)—a process driven by selective autophagy and tightly linked to organismal longevity. The work, led by Kristopher Burkewitz, PhD, and colleagues, provides a mec…