A role for long-lived nuclear envelope proteins in cardiac ageing

Ageing populations present substantial healthcare challenges, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remaining the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Cardiac ageing is characterised by progressive cellular and molecular changes, contributing to structural and functional decline and predisposition to CVD. Component proteins (nucleoporins) of the Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) and the nuclear lamina are both crucial for nuclear integrity and chromatin organisation, and have appeared as key players in cellular homeostasis of post-mitotic cells. Age-related changes in NPC composition and turnover, particularly in non-dividing cells, compromise nucleocytoplasmic compartmentalisation and drive genomic instability, cell death, and senescence. Emerging evidence implicates aberrant NPC components in the core hallmarks of cardiac ageing and in distinct heart diseases. Additionally, the nuclear lamina's susceptibility to damage and its interactions with NPCs might exacerbate these effects. This review presents evidence linking NPC and nuclear lamina dysfunction to features of the ageing heart and suggests that age-related NPC alterations are potential drivers of cardiomyocyte and cardiac decline with age.