Mechanisms Underlying the Anti-Aging and Anti-Tumor Effects of Lithocholic Bile Acid

Abstract

Bile acids are cholesterol-derived bioactive lipids that play essential roles in the maintenance of a heathy lifespan. These amphipathic molecules with detergent-like properties display numerous beneficial effects on various longevity- and healthspan-promoting processes in evolutionarily distant organisms. Recent studies revealed that lithocholic bile acid not only causes a considerable lifespan extension in yeast, but also exhibits a substantial cytotoxic effect in cultured cancer cells derived from different tissues and organisms. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the robust anti-aging and anti-tumor effects of lithocholic acid have emerged. This review summarizes the current knowledge of these mechanisms, outlines the most important unanswered questions and suggests directions for future research.

Keywords

• bioactive lipids
• lipid metabolism
• lipidomics
• bile acids
• aging and age-related diseases
• cancer
• anti-aging and anti-tumor therapeutic agents
• endoplasmic reticulum
• mitochondria
• cell death