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Review
. 2020 Feb;31(2):81-92.
doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.10.003. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Methylglyoxal Metabolism and Aging-Related Disease: Moving from Correlation toward Causation

Rasmus Kold-Christensen  1 , Mogens Johannsen  2
Affiliations
Review

Methylglyoxal Metabolism and Aging-Related Disease: Moving from Correlation toward Causation

Rasmus Kold-Christensen et al. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Methylglyoxal (MG) is a ubiquitous metabolite that spontaneously reacts with biopolymers forming advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). AGEs are strongly associated with aging-related diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. As the formation of AGEs is nonenzymatic, the damage caused by MG and AGEs has been regarded as unspecific. This may have resulted in the field generally been regarded as unappealing by many researchers, as detailed mechanisms have been difficult to probe. However, accumulating evidence highlighting the importance of MG in human metabolism and disease, as well as data revealing how MG can elicit its signaling function via specific protein AGEs, could change the current mindset, accelerating the field to the forefront of future research.

Keywords: AGE; GLO1; aging-related disease; diabetes; hormesis; methylglyoxal.

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