Mitophagy restoration explains lasting benefits

An ageing hypothesis asks whether three interventions share mitochondrial renewal, a cell’s replacement of energy-supplying mitochondria. M, R and C label three unspecified interventions. After confirming clearance of senescent cells, inflammation-promoting cells locked in growth arrest, and reduced inflammatory secretion, it predicts that reducing mitophagy, the cell’s selective removal of mitochondria, in surviving functional cells would remove R and C’s lasting benefit. Restoring mitophagy should restore that benefit, while M alone should retain it. This pattern would support one route. Persistent benefit after reduction would favour independent or combined routes. Testing needs genetic switches, cell-fate tracking, and long-term function and survival measures.