Scientists have discovered how ageing cells can trigger an inflammatory response in the body. They studied the way certain pieces of RNA and DNA accumulate outside the nucleus of these cells. Normally, RNA and DNA are located in a cell's nucleus, but in ageing cells they end up in the cytoplasm, the liquid part inside the cell. This causes the release of substances that promote inflammation.
This accumulation is caused by so-called R-loops, structures in which RNA is temporarily bound to DNA. In healthy cells, these R-loops are properly removed, but in ageing cells they persist for too long and move to the wrong place in the cell. There, they trigger an inflammatory response that contributes to the phenomenon of inflammaging, a long-term, low-grade inflammation that accelerates ageing and increases the likelihood of age-related diseases.
The researchers also found that inhibiting the transport proteins that move these R-loops to the cytoplasm significantly reduces the inflammatory response. This could potentially become a new treatment to better control the harmful inflammation associated with ageing. In experiments with older mice, such a treatment led to a longer lifespan and fewer inflammatory symptoms in the liver.
These findings are important for anyone who wants to age healthily. By better understanding how ageing cells affect the body, we are getting closer to new methods to combat inflammaging and thus improve the quality of life in later life.
Source: Josh Conway
