Understanding the Importance of Proteostasis in Maximizing Healthspan: Challenges and Connections With the Other Pillars of Aging

Abstract

Aging is the driver of most chronic diseases. Through aging research in general and the Geroscience Initiative specifically, the notion of modifying aging to prevent or compress the time spent with chronic diseases emerged as the best way forward for increasing healthspan. Focus areas such as the seven pillars of aging research help to direct research efforts to modify aging. One of those pillars is the maintenance of protein homeostasis or proteostasis. Here we review the collective evidence indicating that longevity and increased healthspan are associated with energetic allocation toward maintenance of the proteome rather than cell proliferation under stress conditions. Furthermore, we address interconnections between proteostasis and other pillars of aging.