A protein called STING, previously shown to control a pathway that contributes to antiviral signaling, also plays an important role in cellular stress clearance and cell survival, according to a new paper published in Molecular Cell.

"It was quite surprising that STING has a protective function for cells to reduce stress and damage in addition to its well-known role in inflammation," said senior author Jay Xiaojun Tan, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Aging Institute and Pitt's Department of Cell Biology.

"Our findings suggest that balance of STING's two functions is important for the health of cells and could have implications for future development of therapeutics for age-related diseases," added first author Dr. Bo Lv, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in Tan's lab.

In healthy human cells, DNA is packaged up inside the nucleus and mitochondria. When DNA leaks out into the fluid component of the cell known as the cytosol, it means that something is wrong.

"Cytosolic DNA is a danger signal associated with infections, cellular stress, cancer and other diseases," explained Tan. "Cells have a warning system to detect DNA in the cytosol, which involves activation of STING, which in turn coordinates inflammation necessary to combat these threats."

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