Researchers at the University of Basel have discovered that specific RNA molecules in nematodes' diets trigger a mild stress response that enhances cellular health and extends healthspan. This process prevents toxic protein buildup associated with aging and diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest diet influences how well organisms age.
Scientists at the University of Basel in Switzerland studied the microscopic worm Caenorhabditis elegans to explore how diet affects aging. They found that certain nutrients, particularly double-stranded RNA molecules from bacteria in the worms' diet, induce a low-level stress reaction that benefits health in later life.
As organisms age, their ability to clear damaged proteins diminishes, leading to toxic aggregates linked to conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and muscle disorders. The researchers showed that these dietary RNAs are absorbed in the gut, activating quality-control mechanisms like autophagy—a cellular process that degrades and recycles damaged proteins.
"These molecules prevent the formation of harmful protein aggregates that are typically linked with aging and disease," says Professor Anne Spang, who led the team. The study revealed that this stress response not only acts locally but also communicates between tissues, providing protective effects in muscles and throughout the organism.
"These dietary RNAs are absorbed in the gut and activate quality-control mechanisms to protect from cellular stress," explains Emmanouil Kyriakakis, the study's first author. "This low-level stress essentially trains the body to cope with protein damage more effectively."
Worms fed a balanced diet containing these RNAs were more active and healthier in old age. "The dietary-RNA species elicit a systemic stress response that protects the worms from protein aggregation during aging, thereby extending their healthspan," says Kyriakakis. "We were surprised to find that the gut communicates with other organs. We observed protective effects not only locally, but also in muscles and throughout the whole organism."
"Specific food components can stimulate the body's own protective mechanisms," adds Spang. "So, a little stress can be good for you." While the research focuses on worms, it raises possibilities for human applications in preventing age-related diseases, though further studies are needed.
The results were detailed in a paper titled "Bacterial RNA promotes proteostasis through inter-tissue communication in C. elegans," published in Nature Communications in 2025.