New study challenges our understanding of premature ageing
Disturbances in the function of mitochondrial DNA can accelerate the ageing process in ways that are different than previously thought, according to a new Finnish study published in Nature Metabolism. Offering a new perspective to ageing, the researchers suggest that accelerated ageing is the result of abnormal cell nucleotide levels and compromised nuclear DNA maintenance. The study was conducted in collaboration between the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Helsinki. Mitochondria are small powerhouse organelles that have their own DNA, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).