How Mitochondria’s Waste DNA Could Be Harming Your Health: What You Need to Know

Researchers have found a crucial process that may play a big role in chronic inflammation as we age. Targeting this process could help us maintain better health in our later years.

This discovery focuses on the DNA within our mitochondria, often called the powerhouses of our cells. When mitochondria eject their DNA (mtDNA) into the surrounding fluid, it can lead to inflammation. Until now, the reasons behind this process were unclear.

The study, led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany, involved examining tissue samples from humans and specially engineered mice that mimic aging and disease.

The researchers discovered that when mtDNA lacks enough DNA building blocks, known as deoxyribonucleotides, it mistakenly uses RNA building blocks instead. This mix-up causes instability in the mtDNA, leading it to be expelled from the mitochondria.

Thomas Langer, a molecular biologist at the institute, explains, “Our findings reveal how metabolic disturbances can trigger inflammation in aged cells and tissues, paving the way for new intervention strategies.”

Past research indicates that as we age, the availability of deoxyribonucleotides decreases, leaving fewer building blocks in older cells. This study suggests that this shortage prompts mtDNA to incorporate ribonucleotides instead, which might explain why mitochondria reject these flawed copies.

This rejection could drive the inflammation associated with aging, linked to various health issues, from certain cancers to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. The researchers note that while this response can help protect against infections, it may also increase the risk of autoimmune diseases, further complicating the aging process.

There’s still much to learn about how often this kind of inflammation occurs as we age. One factor is that people are living longer, which puts more stress on our bodies. Over time, this stress and damage accumulate, affecting our health.

Understanding how to reduce this damage—like preventing mtDNA from making mistakes during replication—could lead to ways of keeping our cells healthier as we grow older.

Interestingly, some therapies for mitochondrial diseases already involve providing DNA building blocks. Dusanka Milenkovic, another molecular biologist at the institute, suggests, “We don’t yet know if this treatment can also reduce age-related inflammation, but it’s worth exploring.”

This research underscores the importance of addressing chronic inflammation to improve our well-being as we age. You can find more details about this study in Nature.

For additional insights, consider checking government health resources or trusted medical journals that discuss aging and inflammation further.

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