Galangin Alleviates Vascular Aging And Endothelial Cell Senescence By Targeting Smad3 To Initiate Mitophagy
As we get older, our blood vessels and the essential cells that line them, known as endothelial cells, can begin to show signs of aging, or senescence. This process is a significant contributor to various health problems, particularly those affecting the heart and blood vessels.
Inside our cells, there’s a vital cleaning mechanism called mitophagy. Think of it as a specialized recycling program that specifically targets and removes damaged or old mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of our cells. When this crucial cleanup process doesn’t work efficiently, these faulty powerhouses can accumulate, leading to cell dysfunction and accelerating the aging process, especially within our blood vessels.
Recent research has identified a natural compound, galangin, as a promising agent that can help reactivate and enhance this cellular cleanup. It functions by interacting with a particular protein within the cells, called SMAD3, which then triggers the removal of these damaged mitochondria. By promoting this essential cellular cleaning, galangin effectively reduces the aging of blood vessels and their lining cells, offering a potential new strategy to address age-related vascular diseases.
Source: link to paper