Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in Aging and Age-Related Disorders

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Outcomes of Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1730

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Division of Exercise Physiology, Department of Human Performance, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9227, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
2. Mitochondria, Metabolism & Bioenergetics Working Group, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
Interests: oxidative stress; mitochondrial dysfunction; age-related diseases; metabolism; cardiovascular diseases; acetylation; diabetes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aging is a complex, multifactorial process characterized by the progressive accumulation of damage to molecular and cellular structures. This damage drives the onset of cellular senescence, impaired tissue function, and, ultimately, the pathologies associated with advanced age. Among the core hallmarks of aging, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are recognized as central players in this decline. The aging process is associated with the accumulation of mitochondrial damage, leading to electron transport chain inefficiency, reduced ATP production, and increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This creates a vicious cycle of oxidative damage, evident in the accumulation of impaired lipids, proteins, and DNA, which is strongly correlated with age and the progression of numerous age-related diseases.

Mitochondrial failure is intimately linked to the pathogenesis of major disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, cardiovascular diseases (a leading cause of mortality in the elderly), and metabolic syndrome. Consequently, understanding these mechanisms is a key frontier for research aimed at promoting healthy aging and developing novel therapeutic interventions.

For this Special Issue of Antioxidants, we invite researchers to contribute original research articles and comprehensive reviews that elucidate the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and redox imbalance in aging and age-related disorders. We seek to advance the understanding of these critical drivers and explore strategies to counteract their detrimental effects.

Dr. Dharendra Thapa
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • mitochondrial dysfunction
  • oxidative stress
  • aging
  • age-related diseases
  • mitochondrial biogenesis
  • reactive oxygen species (ROS)
  • mitochondrial quality control
  • redox homeostasis
  • cellular senescence
  • neurodegeneration

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 4790 KB  
Article
GCN5L1-Mediated Lysine Acetylation Regulates Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Redox Homeostasis in the Aged Heart
by Jackson E. Stewart, Rahatul Islam, Ethan Meadows, Joshua P. Mogus, Murugesan Velayutham, Valery V. Khramtsov, Iain Scott, John M. Hollander and Dharendra Thapa
Antioxidants 2026, 15(4), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15040481 - 13 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1278
Abstract
Precise control of mitochondrial electron transport is essential to maintain mitochondrial coupling and efficiency in ATP production. Furthermore, disruptions to ETC complex function can drive increased oxidant production, resulting in oxidative damage to the mitochondrion and bioenergetic inefficiency. This is highly relevant in [...] Read more.
Precise control of mitochondrial electron transport is essential to maintain mitochondrial coupling and efficiency in ATP production. Furthermore, disruptions to ETC complex function can drive increased oxidant production, resulting in oxidative damage to the mitochondrion and bioenergetic inefficiency. This is highly relevant in the aging heart, as increased cardiac oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are hallmarks of age-related cardiovascular disease. Lysine acetylation has recently been characterized as a novel regulator of mitochondrial metabolic and bioenergetic function in the aging heart. In the present study, we investigated how lysine acetylation regulates oxidant production and redox milieu through mitochondrial acetyltransferase GCN5L1. Using a cardiac-specific GCN5L1 knockout mouse model, we observed that age-associated lipid peroxidation and semiquinone radicals were decreased with GCN5L1 KO. RNA sequencing analysis identified mitochondrial bioenergetic and respiratory pathways revolving around the respiratory chain to be enriched in the old KO group. Further, we showed the old KO group to exhibit reduced acetylation of ETC complex and antioxidant proteins, improved ETC complex and antioxidant protein activity. Overall, GCN5L1 regulates redox homeostasis in the aged heart by regulating mitochondrial ETC complex activity, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial bioenergetics. These findings identify GCN5L1 and acetylation as potential therapeutic targets in aging and age-related diseases. Full article
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