Advances in Gerontology · 2026
Dysregulation of extracellular matrix and mitochondrial function in lung aging
By Belova YI, Reshetnyak VS, Kondratenko AA et al.
Lung aging is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, mitophagy disorders, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, which contributes to the development of fibrosis, but the age dynamics of key regulators of these processes remains poorly understood. The aim of the work was to evaluate the age-related expression of mitophagy proteins, ECM and TGF-β remodeling in mouse lung tissue. An immunohistochemical study of the lungs of mice of different ages was performed. The results showed that with age, there is a progressive decrease in the expression levels of PINK1 and Parkin against the background of an increase in the production of TGF-β, MMP9 and VDAC1. The expression level of TIMP1 also increased by 24 months of age. Thus, lung aging is accompanied by inhibition of mitophagy, an imbalance of MMP9/TIMP1, and an increase in TGF-β levels. The data obtained indicate the key role of mitophagy disorders and extracellular matrix remodeling in age-related lung fibrogenesis.