Primary cilia shape hallmarks of health and aging

Primary cilia are specialized organelles that sense changes in extracellular milieu, and their malfunction is responsible for several disorders (ciliopathies). Increasing evidence shows that primary cilia regulate tissue and cellular aging related features, which led us to review the evidence on their role in potentiating and/or accelerating the aging process. Primary cilia malfunction is associated with some age-related disorders, from cancer to neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders. However, there is limited understanding of molecular pathways underlying primary cilia dysfunction, resulting in scarce ciliarytargeted therapies available. Here, we discuss the findings on primary cilia dysfunction as modulators of the health and aging hallmarks, and the pertinence of ciliary pharmacological targeting to promote healthy aging or treat age-related diseases.

Automated summary

Primary cilia are specialized organelles that play a role in sensing changes in the extracellular environment and their dysfunction is linked to various age-related disorders. However, the molecular pathways underlying primary cilia dysfunction are not well understood, resulting in limited ciliary-targeted therapies. This review discusses the significance of primary cilia dysfunction in modulating aging processes and the potential of ciliary pharmacological targeting for promoting healthy aging and treating age-related diseases.