Science

Scientific research discovers protein responsible for spreading cellular ageing

An international team of researchers led by the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul has discovered that a single protein is responsible for the distribution throughout the body of wear and tear that causes ageing

16 August 2025

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Key points

Interesting tests on lab-grown human cells and mice
The 'positive' effects of the protein

2' min read

An international team of researchers led by the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul has discovered that a single protein, called ReHMGB1, is responsible for distributing the wear and tear that is caused by ageing throughout the body, travelling silently through the bloodstream.

Short for Reduced High Mobility Group Box 1, ReHMGB1 triggers senescence in cells, permanently disabling them. It does not only do this locally; it can send damaging signals throughout the body, particularly in response to injury or disease.

"An important question in ageing research is why do senescent cells increase with age?" the study authors write.

The team says their findings could help develop ways to keep us healthy for longer. If we could block or control the signals of this protein, we could slow down the cellular decline that accompanies age.

'This study reveals that ageing signals are not confined to individual cells, but can be transmitted systemically through the blood, with ReHMGB1 acting as a key factor,' says Ok Hee Jeon, a biomedical engineer at Korea University.

Interesting tests on lab-grown human cells and mice

The researchers were able to identify ReHMGB1 as a key messenger in the transmission of the senescence signal by analysing different types of human cells grown in the laboratory and conducting a series of tests on mice. When ReHMGB1 transmission was blocked in muscle-injured mice, muscle regeneration occurred more rapidly, while the animals showed better physical performance, fewer signs of cellular ageing and reduced systemic inflammation.

The next step would be to see how this process could be interrupted and this particular type of ageing signal kept more localised, so that the health conditions that accompany old age might not be so harmful.

'By blocking this pathway, we were able to restore the regenerative capacity of tissues, suggesting a promising strategy for the treatment of age-related diseases,' says Jeon.

This process is only one of many factors that contribute to ageing, but the signals that ReHMGB1 disseminates are particularly important in terms of our organism's dysfunction over time and reduced ability to repair itself.

The 'positive' effects of the protein

It is also worth remembering the useful functions of ReHMGB1 in the body: alerting our biological systems to damage and indicating the need for repair. Any type of intervention must take this into account.

We know that, in general, populations are living longer than ever before, and this is taking both our bodies and scientific research into uncharted territory. The various routines inherent in our cells must continue to function longer than in past decades, when the average life expectancy was shorter.

From where we live to the genetics we are born with, there are many factors that contribute to ageing and lifespan. By learning more about how they work, we will be able to manage them better and perhaps extend life even further.

'Relying on current research in these areas will be essential to understand the therapeutic potential of redox-sensitive HMGB1 in age-related diseases and its role as a systemic mediator of senescence,' the researchers write in their paper, puvlicated in the scientific paper Metabolism.