Research

Hormonal

Pharmacological induction of autophagy by spermidine and resveratrol extends the lifespan of model organisms (yeast, nematodes, flies) and improves fitness in human cells, a process that is strictly dependent on the activation of autophagy pathways.

Current evidence supports that spermidine and resveratrol extend lifespan in model organisms by triggering autophagy. However, direct application to human longevity is not yet proven. Focus on maintaining cellular health through known autophagy inducers like exercise and fasting, which share mechanistic similarities.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
These beneficial effects are lost when essential autophagy modulators are genetically or pharmacologically inactivated, indicating that autophagy is required for the cytoprotective and/or anti-aging effects of spermidine and resveratrol.
Eugenia Morselli et al. · Aging · 2009

Why this rating

Strong evidence in yeast, nematodes, and flies; evidence in mice is mixed (requires high-fat diet for resveratrol); human data is limited to cell culture fitness.

Source

Autophagy mediates pharmacological lifespan extension by spermidineand resveratrol

Eugenia Morselli et al. · Aging · 2009

DOI 10.18632/aging.100110

narrative_reviewCited 209×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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