Longevity & AgingNucleophagy: How Cells Eat Their Own Nucleus to Fight Aging and Disease
Nucleophagy is a specialized form of autophagy in which cells selectively target and degrade damaged or dysfunctional nuclear components — including nuclear proteins like lamins, SIRT1, and histones, DNA-protein crosslinks, micronuclei, and chromatin fragments. This 2025 review in Autophagy synthesizes current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms, cargo-selection pathways, and regulatory networks governing nucleophagy in mammalian cells. The authors highlight how impaired nucleophagy contributes to aging, cancer, neurodegeneration, autoimmune disorders, and neurological injury. By clarifying how cells maintain nuclear integrity through selective degradation, the review opens new avenues for therapeutic strategies targeting nucleophagy in human disease.
