In defence of pathogenic proteins: Do our aging cells get smarter, not sicker?

Protein deposits in cells, such as those associated with diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, can also be beneficial – at least for yeast cells, as biochemists at ETH Zurich have discovered. The researchers found a new form of age-associated deposits in these cells, and they are now asking us to rethink our views on ageing and dementia. We age because …