Aging & Longevity

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) have been implicated in aging and disease for decades and are typically viewed as a unitary, non-specific oxidative burden on cells and tissues. However, recent studies have identified at least eleven individual sources of mitochondrial ROS (ISOMRs) and revealed that ISOMRs have distinct, dynamic, and often reversible roles in diverse physiological and pathological processes, including neurodegenerative diseases, immune and metabolic dysregulation,...

Cellular senescence is a central driver of organismal ageing and related pathologies, primarily promoting chronic inflammation and tissue dysfunction through the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Unlike senolytics, which aim to eliminate senescent cells, senomorphic agents offer a complementary therapeutic strategy by modulating the SASP without clearing the cells, thereby preserving their potential physiological functions. This review systematically elucidates the multi-target...

Endometriosis (EMs) is characterized by chronic pelvic inflammation, but the etiology of this inflammation remains poorly understood. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), whereby senescent cells secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines, is a potential mechanism. This study investigates the pro-inflammatory SASP in EMs and its underlying influences. Through molecular assays and single-cell RNA-seq analysis, we found a subgroup of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) marked by SASP in both...

T follicular helper (T(FH)) cells support B cell function by promoting memory B cell differentiation and sustaining long-lasting antibody responses, thereby enabling immunity that protects the host from subsequent infections. T(FH) cells are essential for orchestrating the antibody-mediated immunity achieved via vaccination, which has had a profound global impact in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases. T(FH) cells provide help to B cells both within and...

Dietary protein is a key regulator of metabolic health in humans and rodents. Many of the benefits of protein restriction are mediated by reduced intake of dietary branched-chain amino acids (leucine, valine and isoleucine) and restriction of the branched-chain amino acids is sufficient to extend healthspan and lifespan in mice. Here we find that valine restriction (Val-R) improves metabolic health in C57BL/6J mice, promotes leanness and glycemic control across ages, and reduces frailty, cancer...

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with accelerated cognitive aging and increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), yet the biological substrates linking trauma-related psychiatric illness to altered brain aging trajectories remain poorly defined. The basolateral amygdala plays a central role in threat processing and emotional memory and exhibits persistent hyperactivity in PTSD, but its molecular and pathological state in aging individuals with PTSD...

Macroautophagy/autophagy is a well-established homeostatic mechanism that contributes to the integrity of multiple regulatory biological activities including but not limited to the gastro-intestinal tract and cognitive integrity. Autophagy also plays a central role in tissue regeneration, metamorphosis and development whereas defects in autophagy are associated with a wide range of disorders including metabolic diseases such as diabetes, organ pathophysiologies including liver, lung and heart...

Age-related endothelial dysfunction in the cerebral microcirculation contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). Time-restricted eating (TRE) has emerged as a promising lifestyle intervention with beneficial effects on metabolic and vascular health; however, the mechanisms by which TRE influences the brain microvasculature remain incompletely understood. In particular, the role of circulating factors induced by TRE in modulating endothelial...

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Tendinopathy is a common condition that causes long-term pain. The inflammatory microenvironment (inflamed soil) promotes the ingrowth of sensory nerves (a key pain trigger) and induces functional impairments in tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) (dysfunctional seeds). These interconnected processes collectively drive the progression of tendinopathy, which is frequently accompanied by persistent pain. Here, we develop a multifunctional nanoplatform (MSM-DTM) by integrating macrophage-sensory...

Skeletal muscle aging is a complex biological process that involves coordinated changes in multiple cell types. Recent breakthroughs in single-cell sequencing technology have provided new perspectives regarding this process. Here, we systematically summarize current progress in single-cell technology with respect to skeletal muscle aging. We focused on specific molecular characteristics and interaction networks of muscle fiber, satellite and immune cells during aging. Aging skeletal muscles...

Tumor senescence is a durable cell-cycle arrest triggered by oncogenic signalling, DNA damage and therapeutic stress. Although senescence can restrain malignant expansion, heterogeneous senescence-associated secretory programs can also promote tumor progression, immune evasion and treatment resistance. Crucially, the composition, magnitude and persistence of these secretory programs vary across cell types, microenvironmental niches and treatment phases, making binary detection of "senescent...

The nucleus is a highly organized and dynamic organelle, with hierarchical layers ranging from nucleosome positioning to chromatin domains and higher-order 3D genome topology. Viewed over time as the 4D nucleome, this organization enables precise and context-dependent transcriptional control. In the heart, dynamic nuclear architecture orchestrates precise transcriptional programmes that control lineage commitment and the establishment of cardiac cell types crucial not only for heart development,...

In senescent cells, functional alterations in organelles like mitochondria and lysosomes are well characterized, but senescence-associated changes in Golgi function are not. An RNA interference screen revealed that silencing subunits of the coatomer protein I (COPI) complex, critical for intracellular transport involving the Golgi, reduced extracellular vesicle uptake. In proliferating WI-38 fibroblasts, silencing COPI constituents COPA, COPB1, COPB2, or COPD induced ATF4 production and...

Changes in gene expression have been observed in the aging human brain, but our understanding of the underlying regulatory mechanisms remains limited. To unravel these complexities, we analyzed single-nucleus gene expression, chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, and three-dimensional (3D) chromatin architecture from human hippocampal tissues spanning the adult lifespan. We identified both linear and nonlinear dynamic gene regulatory programs during aging. Between the ages of 50 to 75,...

Aging tissues gradually lose cellular diversity due to stem cell exhaustion. A new PLOS Biology study utilizes advanced lineage tracing to track intestinal stem cell lineages across the life span. The findings reveal clonal attrition happens in early ages.

CONCLUSION: Older adults with intact tactile sensation showed stronger hand dexterity-cognitive associations, highlighting sensorimotor integrity as relevant for early screening and functional evaluation. Stratified patterns suggest possible cognitive group differences that merit further study.

Cellular senescence is a context-dependent cellular state characterised by persistent cell-cycle arrest, epigenetic remodelling, metabolic reprogramming and acquisition of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Transient senescence contributes to embryogenesis, tissue repair and tumour suppression, whereas persistent senescent cell populations accumulate with advancing age across multiple tissues, in part owing to declining immune-mediated clearance and intrinsic resistance to apoptosis,...

Global population ageing is increasing the burden of chronic disease, functional decline, and loss of independence. For most organs, decline in function starts during the 5th decade of life. Micronutrient (MN) insufficiencies/deficiencies are common and may accelerate biological ageing. MNs are required to support multiple physiologic processes, including mitochondrial homeostasis. Age-related declines in organ function are tightly linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress,...

Heterochronic parabiosis improves physiological and cognitive function in aging rodents; these benefits appear to be derived from the removal of aged blood plasma components and the addition of younger ones. In humans, removing plasma from older individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and replacing it with saline and albumin delayed cognitive deterioration in a large clinical trial. However, mimicking heterochronic parabiosis in humans by removing large volumes of a patient's blood plasma and...