Targeting the BECN1-BCL2 autophagy regulatory complex to promote longevity

Several studies in the past two decades established an evolutionarily conserved and tight relationship between autophagy and ageing. Model organisms such as the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the soil dueling worm Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, have been instrumental for the identification of key genes regulating a variety of pathophysiological processes and signaling, including ageing and associated pathologies (1).