Advanced Glycation End Products, RAGE, and Aging

The products of nonenzymatic glycation and oxidation of proteins and lipids, the advanced glycation end products (AGEs), accumulate in diverse biological settings including aging. AGEs may be generated rather quickly or over long duration as a consequence of distinct triggering mechanisms, thereby accounting for their roles in multiple settings and disease states. The potency of the effect of AGEs on tissues and cells is, in part, due to the ability of AGEs to activate and interact with receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). In this chapter, we discuss multiple mechanisms by which AGE interactions cause perturbation in aging and propose that targeting this AGE–RAGE pathway may represent a logical step in the prevention and treatment of aging and age-associated disorders.