Removing cGAS protein may make aging worse by unleashing inflammatory DNA
Researchers at the University of Rochester thought that shutting down a protein linked to inflammation might help slow aging. Instead, they found the opposite: Without the protein, mice became frailer, experienced more inflammation and had shorter life spans.
Researchers at the University of Rochester discovered that removing a protein called cGAS may worsen aging by triggering chronic inflammation in mice. The protein, which plays a dual role in the body, can both trigger inflammation when it detects misplaced DNA outside of cells and help prevent inflammation within the cells themselves.
When the researchers removed cGAS from mouse models, the animals became frail, experienced more inflammation, and had shorter life spans. This unexpected result reveals that cGAS has two seemingly opposing roles, making it challenging to develop therapies targeting age-related inflammation without potentially exacerbating the issue.
The findings, published in Nature Aging, highlight the need for therapies that preserve cGAS's protective role in the nucleus while blocking its inflammatory activity elsewhere in cells.
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