How to rejuvenate aged organs and tissues

Pura Muñoz-Cánoves

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain

Cells are responsible for the regeneration of organs and tissues, but over the years the capacity for renewal deteriorates. This is why the mechanism of cell recycling, autophagy, fails and waste accumulates inside the cells leading to the aging of organs and tissues and, as a result, physical disabilities associated with aging.

Two of the basic questions of stem cell biology are how tissues maintain their capacity to repair themselves and what changes stem cells undergo during aging that lead to the loss of this capacity.

This research project analyses how to recover the regenerative capacity of cells by modulating autophagy and eliminating all the changes related to the passage of time, senescence. The ultimate goal is to promote healthy aging among the elderly.

Understanding muscle regenerative decline with aging

€496,630