Research by Unipd and Vimm Reveals the Secret of Muscle Aging in Peroxisomes
13.11.2025
A study conducted by the University of Padua and the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (Vimm), published in "Nature Communications," has discovered that the proper functioning of peroxisomes and their interaction with mitochondria are crucial to counteract sarcopenia, the loss of muscle strength and mass associated with aging.
It is not just an inevitable effect of time: this condition can compromise autonomy, increase the risk of falls, frailty, and disability, and in more severe cases, reduce life expectancy. Understanding why muscles age and lose strength is therefore one of the major questions in modern biomedical research.
Researchers, led by Professor Vanina Romanello, observed that with age, the number of peroxisomes in muscles decreases, impairing their ability to process fats and eliminate free radicals. But their importance goes beyond that: to ensure the cell's energy balance, peroxisomes closely collaborate with mitochondria, the cell's powerhouses that produce the energy necessary for vital functions.
The study also focused on Pex5, a key protein essential for the proper functioning of peroxisomes. When Pex5 is absent, communication between peroxisomes and mitochondria breaks down: mitochondria lose efficiency, fat metabolism is altered, muscles weaken, and signs of aging appear prematurely.
"This study opens new perspectives in the field of aging biology," emphasized Vanina Romanello, Professor of General Pathology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Padua and researcher at VIMM. "Preserving the functionality of peroxisomes and their alliance with mitochondria could become one of the keys to counteracting the loss of muscle strength and mass associated with aging. An important step, not only to understand how we age but to improve the quality of our lives."
The project was funded by the Telethon Foundation and AFM-Telethon.
