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When a theory of aging ages badly

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Abstract

According to the widely acknowledged mitochondrial free radical theory of aging (MFRTA), the macromolecular damage that results from the production of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) during cellular respiration is the cause of aging. However, although it is clear that oxidative damage increases during aging, the fundamental question regarding whether mitochondrial oxidative stress is in any way causal to the aging process remains unresolved. An increasing number of studies on long-lived vertebrate species, mutants and transgenic animals have seriously challenged the pervasive MFRTA. Here, we describe some of these new results, including those pertaining to the phenotype of the long-lived Mclk1 +/− mice, which appear irreconcilable with the MFRTA. Thus, we believe that it is reasonable to now consider the MFRTA as refuted and that it is time to use the insight gained by many years of testing this theory to develop new views as to the physiological causes of aging.

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  1. Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 1B1, Canada

    Jérôme Lapointe & Siegfried Hekimi

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  1. Jérôme Lapointe
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  2. Siegfried Hekimi
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Correspondence to Siegfried Hekimi.

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Lapointe, J., Hekimi, S. When a theory of aging ages badly. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 67, 1–8 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-009-0138-8

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