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Ozempic-like drugs appear to weaken more than hunger—they may also reduce cravings for alcohol and other addictive substances. Scientists are increasingly tracing this effect to the lateral septum, a brain region that helps connect memories and surroundings with rewarding experiences. Packed with GLP-1 receptors, it may act as a crucial control point between thinking about a reward and feeling compelled to pursue it. The discovery could open new approaches to treating addiction as well as obesity.

Scientists have pinpointed a brain network—and its distinctive electrical rhythm—that appears to drive the benefits of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease. The discovery could lead to more precise, personalized stimulation settings and better results for patients.

Ancient remains from Vietnam suggest diseases like yaws may have been passed from mother to child thousands of years ago, a form of transmission often assumed to indicate syphilis. The discovery could overturn how scientists interpret ancient infections and complicate the long-running mystery of syphilis’s origins.

A scientist’s car was burned at the proposed Sardinian site, in what researchers say was an attempt to intimidate supporters of the gravitational-wave observatory

The adult brain may be far better at repairing itself than scientists once believed. In mice, researchers discovered a special group of support cells called astrocytes that respond to damaged brain tissue by rebuilding lost cellular networks. Rather than simply moving into the injured area, these cells perform a remarkable maneuver: they create new nuclei and send them traveling through long cellular extensions to repopulate damaged regions.

Keratin extracted from sheep’s wool helped damaged bone regenerate in animals, producing tissue that was more organized and structurally similar to healthy bone than tissue grown with conventional collagen scaffolds. The discovery could turn an abundant agricultural byproduct into a promising new material for regenerative medicine.

With a lens array in Chile, astronomers capture clumps of gas from a dying star returning to the Galaxy

Current evidence indicates that Parkinson's disease (PD) involves T cell-mediated inflammation, which plays a fundamental role in promoting neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in patients and animal models. These T cells are specific to α-synuclein-derived antigens, including nitrated α-synuclein (NαSyn). Here, we sought to develop an experimental immunotherapy for PD based on the generation of regulatory T cells (Treg) specific to NαSyn, using the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology....

CRISPR has emerged as a next-generation gene-editing tool with the potential to target the molecular pathways associated with ageing and related disorders. It functions through RNA-guided Cas nucleases, directing DNA cleavage and utilizing the native DNA repair machinery for genetic manipulations. Advances in CRISPR technology have significantly enhanced the precision and flexibility of techniques for genome editing. The enzyme Cas9's ability to cut DNA at exact site has revolutionized genome...

CRISPR has emerged as a next-generation gene-editing tool with the potential to target the molecular pathways associated with ageing and related disorders. It functions through RNA-guided Cas nucleases, directing DNA cleavage and utilizing the native DNA repair machinery for genetic manipulations. Advances in CRISPR technology have significantly enhanced the precision and flexibility of techniques for genome editing. The enzyme Cas9's ability to cut DNA at exact site has revolutionized genome...

Regular physical activity is beneficial for brain health. However, no research has explored whether physical activity level (PAL) assessed by the doubly labeled water method (PAL-DLW) is associated with brain volume and cognitive function. We investigated whether PAL-DLW, accelerometer-assessed PAL (PAL-Acc), and components of physical activity are associated with brain volume and cognitive function in older adults. We analyzed data from 49 participants with cardiometabolic or functional risks...

CONCLUSION: Age-associated inflammation is accompanied by activation of the IL6ST/JAK1-STAT1 signaling pathway, increased megakaryocyte apoptosis, and enhanced thrombopoiesis in aged mice. These findings suggest that inflammation-driven megakaryocyte remodeling may represent a compensatory mechanism for sustaining platelet production during aging and may contribute to the heightened thrombotic risk observed in older individuals.

CONCLUSION: PRMT6 exacerbates D-gal-induced cochlear aging by promoting asymmetric arginine dimethylation of FOXG1, accelerating FOXG1 degradation, and inhibiting mitophagy. The PRMT6-FOXG1-mitophagy axis represents a potential therapeutic target for D-gal-induced cochlear aging.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) develops silently for years before symptoms emerge, making early identification of at-risk individuals essential for prevention trials and early intervention. We tested whether combining neurophysiological, imaging, and blood biomarkers improves prediction of progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in cognitively unimpaired older adults with a family history of AD (n = 102; 31 progressors; mean follow-up of 5.9 years). Magnetoencephalography, magnetic resonance...

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), characterized by pathologic choroidal neovascularization (CNV), is a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFa) antagonists can prevent acute vision loss, but high treatment burden and loss of efficacy with chronic therapy highlight the need to explore alternative mechanisms. Recently, microRNA-34a (miR-34a) has emerged as a key regulator in aging and age-related diseases, but its role in neovascular AMD is...

Although the causal association between aging and osteoarthritis (OA) has been documented, our understanding of the underlying mechanism remains incomplete. To define the regulatory molecules governing chondrocyte aging, we performed transcriptomic analysis of young and old human chondrocytes from healthy donors. The data predicted that GATA-binding protein 4 (GATA4) may play a key role in mediating the difference between young and old chondrocytes. Results from immunostaining and western blot...

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries have advanced rapidly, but practical deployment is limited by excessive negative-to-positive (N/P) ratios (>50), decreasing the energy density. Zinc powder anodes can lower N/P, yet their high specific surface area accelerates parasitic reactions and shortens lifespan. Here we report a high-loading and highly reversible dry-processed zinc powder anode with a non-electrochemically driven solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). The dry process retains a homogeneous...

Mild mitochondrial stress could extend lifespan across species, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that inhibition of mitochondrial respiration induces a sustained transcriptional program that enhances lysosomal proteolysis during aging in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mechanistically, this response is primarily regulated by the intestinal GATA transcription factor ELT-2, which retains high expression and directly binds to GATA motifs in the promoters of lysosomal protease...

Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) provides a sensitive measure of large-scale neural dynamics and has been widely used to characterize age-related changes in brain function. However, many prior studies have relied on relatively small samples or single-condition recordings, limiting the generalizability of findings. In this study, we investigated normative age-related trajectories of EEG spectral features across eyes-closed (EC) and eyes-open (EO) conditions in a large cohort of healthy...

CONCLUSION: This study delineates two IC profiles among Chinese older adults. The XGBoost-based model was explored for rapid IC profile classification. These findings highlight heterogeneity in IC and support the feasibility of a simplified digital approach, with external validation warranted.