Cell：刘光慧团队破译运动抗衰密码，确定首个“运动模拟物”——甜菜碱，开拓科学抗衰新路径

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exercise and introduces betaine as a potential exercise mimetic for geroprotection, providing a new strategy for anti-aging interventions [1][3][22]. Group 1: Research Findings - The research team conducted a six-year study that systematically analyzed the molecular and cellular responses of the human body to acute and long-term exercise, identifying the kidneys as a key organ responding to exercise effects [2][11]. - Betaine was found to be a core molecular messenger for delaying aging, targeting and inhibiting the natural immune hub kinase TBK1, which helps to alleviate inflammation and slow down the aging process in multiple organs [2][15]. - The study established a multi-modal data coupling analysis framework, breaking down the complex biological responses to exercise into a quantifiable dynamic network [9][20]. Group 2: Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Anti-Aging - The research revealed distinct effects of acute versus long-term exercise, with acute exercise triggering a "survival stress-type" metabolic storm, while long-term exercise promotes a health-oriented metabolic-immune homeostasis [11][12]. - Long-term exercise was shown to rejuvenate T lymphocytes by enhancing genomic and epigenetic stability, activating NRF2 pathways to suppress inflammatory factors, and promoting T cell survival and proliferation [12][14]. - The study demonstrated that long-term exercise significantly increases kidney betaine levels, with choline dehydrogenase (CHDH) identified as a key regulatory enzyme in this process [13][14]. Group 3: Implications of Betaine as an Exercise Mimetic - Betaine was shown to effectively simulate the benefits of long-term exercise, improving various aging-related cellular phenotypes in human diploid cells and extending healthy lifespan in aged mice [14][22]. - The study confirmed that betaine specifically binds to and inhibits TBK1 kinase activity, blocking downstream inflammatory signaling pathways, thus reducing immune cell infiltration and inflammatory factor release [15][20]. - The findings suggest that betaine could serve as a potential anti-aging alternative for elderly populations who cannot tolerate high-intensity exercise, marking a new paradigm in the development of exercise-mimicking drugs [20][22].