Autophagy is the body’s cellular cleanup process, a method of removing damaged proteins, organelles, and pathogens by encircling them in double-membrane structures called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes fuse with lysosomes, degrading and recycling the damaged cellular material into reusable building blocks like amino acids, fatty acids, and nucleotides to maintain cellular homeostasis, enable metabolic adaptation, and support the cellular stress response. Genetic and experimental evidence shows that longevity paradigms rely on basal autophagic activity, and that activating autophagy may extend lifespan and promote longevity.

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