RNA and protein degradation in the aging process

Aging involves a profound reorganization of metabolic processes, marked by a progressive decline in anabolic activity and a compensatory increase in catabolic flux. This imbalance drives cellular dysfunction and contributes to age-related phenotypes, including sarcopenia, anorexia, and sleep disturbances. Concomitantly, aging involves a selective disruption of RNA and protein degradation pathways. This process, defined here as Senescence-Associated Degradative Reprogramming (SADR), entails the aberrant destabilization of specific transcripts and proteins, with some molecules being rapidly degraded, while others accumulate intracellularly. This review examines the central role of RNA and protein degradation regulators in aging, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms driving their reprogramming and the resulting disruption of cellular homeostasis. Furthermore, this review highlights RNA and protein degradation as a crucial axis in senescence biology, presenting new perspectives for targeted therapeutic intervention.