Report relevant to age-related disorders tests effects of treatment with alpha-lipoic acid on Drosophila

EMBO Rep. 2020 Aug 5;21(8):e49583. doi: 10.15252/embr.201949583. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Lipoic acid rejuvenates aged intestinal stem cells by preventing age-associated endosome reduction.

Du G, Qiao Y, Zhuo Z, Zhou J, Li X, Liu Z, Li Y, Chen H

Comment in
EMBO Rep. 2020 Aug 5;21(8):e51175.

Abstract:

The age-associated decline of adult stem cell function is closely related to the decline in tissue function and age-related diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms that ultimately lead to the observed functional decline of stem cells still remain largely unexplored. This study investigated Drosophila midguts and found a continuous downregulation of lipoic acid synthase, which encodes the key enzyme for the endogenous synthesis of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), upon aging. Importantly, orally administration of ALA significantly reversed the age-associated hyperproliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and the
observed decline of intestinal function, thus extending the lifespan of Drosophila. This study reports that ALA reverses age-associated ISC dysfunction by promoting the activation of the endocytosis-autophagy network, which decreases in aged ISCs. Moreover, this study suggests that ALA may be used as a safe and effective anti-aging compound for the treatment of ISC-dysfunction-related diseases and for the promotion of healthy aging in humans.

DOI: 10.15252/embr.201949583
PMCID: PMC7403706
PMID: 32648369