Tech: Cellular cleanup linked to longivity

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Researchers report that boosting autophagy, the cellular cleanup mechanism, can promote cellular longevity, at least in fruit flies. Previous studies had linked accelerated neural degeneration to a reduction in the neuron's ability to cleanup its own waste products. The researchers believe that controlling the rate at which cells clean up after themselves could be a key factor in controlling neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.