The health of a cell requires proper functioning, regulation, and quality control of its organelles, the membrane-enclosed compartments inside the cell that carry out its essential biochemical tasks. Aging commonly perturbs organelle homeostasis, causing problems to cellular health that can spur the initiation and progression of degenerative diseases and related pathologies. Here, we discuss emerging evidence indicating that age-related defects in organelle homeostasis stem in part from dysfunction of the autophagy-lysosome system, a pivotal player in cellular quality control and damage clearance. We also highlight natural examples from biology where enhanced activity of the autophagy-lysosome system might be harnessed to erase age-related organelle damage, raising potential implications for cellular rejuvenation.
Keywords: aging; autophagy; cell biology; organelles; rejuvenation.