Domestic researchers have confirmed that when the cell’s internal “immune alarm,” which is triggered to respond to invading viruses, malfunctions, it can in fact accelerate aging. Controlling this mechanism is expected not only to provide clues for slowing aging, but also to contribute to the development of anti-aging agents.

The National Research Foundation of Korea announced on the 26th that a joint research team led by Professor Seung-Jae Lee of the Department of Biological Sciences and Professor Yoosik Kim of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at KAIST has identified the mechanism by which the abnormal increase of “double-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA)” in cells promotes aging.

Double-stranded RNA is a substance that induces immune responses during viral infection. It is also naturally produced in normal cells even in the absence of external infection. The research team confirmed that as organisms age, double-stranded RNA gradually increases within cells, and that this excessively stimulates the immune system, leading to a shortened lifespan.

The team also elucidated that the protein “FARSA” in the body, previously known only as an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase for protein synthesis, plays a kind of security guard role in controlling double-stranded RNA. This protein directly binds to double-stranded RNA to prevent its excessive accumulation and blocks unnecessary immune responses in advance. However, as aging reduces the expression of this protein, this line of defense collapses and aging accelerates.

This study, which newly reveals the correlation between the immune system and aging, was published online on the 26th in the international life science journal Molecular Cell. Professor Lee stated, “The significance of this study lies in clarifying the specific pathway through which the accumulation of double-stranded RNA within cells promotes aging,” adding, “It will contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies for age-related diseases in the future.”

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