Role of the GCP signalling pathway in ageing identified

With increasing life expectancy, old age is becoming an ever larger part of the human lifespan. During ageing, the way cells function changes, which sometimes has drastic consequences for the body. A recent study published in the journal "Nature Aging", led by Josef Penninger, Professor of Personalised Medicine at MedUni Vienna, reveals the crucial role of a previously unknown lipid metabolic pathway in ageing, in particular its impact on muscle health and glucose control. Against the background of the question of how the increase in years of life affects the metabolic processes of cells, the research team led by first author Domagoj Cikes (IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austrian Academy of Sciences) and study leader Josef Penninger ( Department of Laboratory Medicine, MedUni Vienna) investigated in particular genes that are associated with fat metabolism and are dysregulated during ageing. They focussed in particular on those genes that are dysregulated in the skeletal muscles. As the body's largest organ, this fulfils important functions throughout life: Among other things, muscles serve as metabolic reservoirs for blood sugar and thus control vital processes. Specifically, the researchers focussed on the lipid glycerophosphocholine (GPC) and the enzyme that hydrolyses GPC, glycerophosphocholine phosphodiesterase 1 (GPCPD1).