Unraveling the Molecular Pathways of Cadmium-Induced Aging

Miroslava Požgajová; Alica  Navrátilová; Marek Kovár; Lucia Klongová; Hossein Zakariapour Bahnamiri

Authors

Miroslava Požgajová AgroBioTech Research Center, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia
Alica Navrátilová Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8447-5016
Marek Kovár Institute of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1478-8383
Lucia Klongová AgroBioTech Research Center, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1111-7709
Hossein Zakariapour Bahnamiri AgroBioTech Research Center, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9782-7861

Keywords:

cadmium, aging, molecular mechanisms, model systems

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal widely recognized for its detrimental effects on human health, particularly due to its long biological half-life and ability to accumulate in tissues over time. Chronic exposure to Cd, whether through environmental, occupational, or dietary sources, has been implicated in accelerated aging and age-related pathologies. Increasing evidence from diverse model systems, including yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, mammalian cell cultures, rodents, and population studies, suggests that Cd disrupts key cellular processes such as oxidative stress response, mitochondrial function, DNA repair, and epigenetic regulation. These disruptions contribute to cellular senescence, tissue degeneration, and systemic aging phenotypes. By examining findings across different biological models, this review aims to elucidate the conserved and model-specific mechanisms by which Cd influences the aging process.

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Unraveling the Molecular Pathways of Cadmium-Induced Aging

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