Guido Kroemer

At a glance

• Guido Kroemer is a German-French cell biologist affiliated with Université Paris Cité, Inserm and the Gustave Roussy cancer institute. He is among the most highly cited researchers in cell biology.
• He made major contributions to understanding how mitochondria, the cell’s power plants, control programmed cell death.
• Much of his work concerns autophagy: the recycling system cells use to break down and reuse damaged components. He has studied substances that mimic or stimulate autophagy, such as spermidine.
• In cancer biology he studied how certain chemotherapies can activate the immune system against tumours.
• He co-authored The Hallmarks of Aging (Cell, 2013, updated in 2023), the review that lists the main biological hallmarks of ageing.
• For longevity, his work is central because it links autophagy and cellular stress to ageing and disease.
• Takeaway: studies link autophagy to exercise and periods without food, among other things; view supplements promising ‘autophagy’ with healthy scepticism.