Targeted intervention of senescence induced by a 5' half fragment of tRNASec(NCA) with antisense oligonucleotide extends healthspan and lifespan in mice

Abstract

In light of increasing attention being paid to aging research globally, the accumulation of aging hallmarks and their corresponding targeting therapeutics have been substantially revealed. However, uncovering the genuine drivers within epigenetic alterations that lead to aging remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we identified tRNASec(NCA) as the most severely damaged tRNA species in the kidneys of naturally aged mice. This damage not only dysregulated selenoproteins with anti-aging effects, but also generates a 5'-tRNA fragment cleaved at the 34th position, which accumulates in an age-dependent manner. Mechanistically, the 5'-tRNASec(NCA) half interacts and activates Toll-like receptor 7, thereby triggering innate immune responses and promoting cellular senescence in both mice and human cells. Moreover, in a naturally aged mice model, administration of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting the 5'-tRNASec(NCA) half remarkably ameliorates aging markers, enhances telomere length, and extends healthspan and lifespan. In addition, ASO-5'-tRNASec(NCA) half plays another role in directly targeting and downregulating BCAT1 via the RNAi pathway to intervene in the senescence process. Our findings underscore tRNA damage as a novel aging hallmark, and targeting the damage-induced products presents a novel strategy for aging intervention, thus expanding our knowledge of the aging process.