Targeting the cGAS-STING pathway to Sabotage Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a major issue in aging. The immune system reacts inappropriately to rising levels of molecular damage, spurred on by the pro-inflammatory signaling of growing numbers of senescent cells, and enters a state of continual overactivation. This broadly disrupts cell and tissue function throughout the body in many ways. Present approaches to reducing inflammation, largely deployed as treatments of autoimmune conditions, involve the brute force sabotage of important inflammatory signaling pathways such as those involving tumor necrosis factors. This can achieve the goal of reducing chronic inflammation, but at the cost of also sabotaging some of the vital work of the immune system in defending against pathogens and destroying errant cells. Are there similar brute force approaches that can sabotage immune system signaling pathways that are less involved in vital work and more involved in inappropriate overactivation in old age and autoimmunity? That might be the case. The cGAS-STING pathway is attracting a great deal of research interest of late, and may prove to be a better option than tumor necrosis factor interactions, but it is still involved in the detection of pathogens and problematic cells. A better class of approach might be to instead address the causes of inflammation: the senescent cells, the cell damage, the reasons why the signaling environment shifts to be more inflammatory. The cGAS-STING pathway as a therapeutic target in inflamm...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs