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Researchers at Yale have identified a promising new approach to osteoarthritis that could do more than simply ease pain. The epilepsy drug lacosamide appears to block a protein involved in both pain signaling and cartilage destruction, helping damaged joints shift back toward repair in preclinical studies.

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) restricts food intake to daily windows, yet its efficacy against vascular aging and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that TRF attenuates angiotension II -induced accelerated vascular aging by reshaping gut microbiota, stabilizing microbial diversity, and elevating the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. TRF preserved intestinal barrier integrity, upregulated tight junction proteins (Occludin, ZO-1, MUC2), reduced serum lipopolysaccharide, and...

Just seven strength-training sessions helped obese mice shrink visceral fat cells and reactivate molecular pathways involved in burning stored fat, despite no change in overall body weight. The findings suggest some benefits of resistance exercise may begin long before weight loss becomes visible, though the results still need to be confirmed in humans.

Not all vitamin D supplements are created equal, and new research suggests that one popular form may have an unexpected downside. Scientists found that taking vitamin D2 can actually lower the body's levels of vitamin D3, the form naturally produced by sunlight and more effective at boosting overall vitamin D. Previous studies also suggest that vitamin D3 may provide stronger immune protection against viruses and bacteria.

A large analysis of 22 studies found that the trans fats naturally present in dairy foods such as milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese do not appear to raise the risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Unlike industrial trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils, dairy trans fats showed no meaningful harmful effects on blood fats in controlled trials and were not linked to higher rates of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular death, or diabetes in long-term studies.

A study of more than 130,000 babies born in Georgia found that hundreds of fathers died within the first five years of their child’s life, and about 60% of those deaths were potentially preventable. Homicide, accidental injuries, suicide, and drug overdoses accounted for most of the preventable deaths, highlighting what researchers call a major blind spot in public health.

A Stanford-designed molecule turns a major lymphoma-promoting protein against cancer cells, activating their own self-destruct machinery instead of simply blocking tumor growth. In mice, the treatment completely eliminated aggressive human lymphoma tumors within 11 days, although much more testing is needed before it could reach patients.

Eating more sugar while taking antibiotics was linked to greater disruption of the gut microbiome and increased growth of potentially harmful bacteria. Researchers say temporarily cutting back on sweets during and after antibiotic treatment could be a simple way to reduce this damage, though clinical trials are still needed.

Climate change appears to have made food scarce for chinstrap penguins, which had numbered more than 1 million on a remote South Atlantic island

Blocking a receptor called P2X7 significantly reduced inflammation in human brain tissue, revealing a potential new treatment strategy for neurological and psychiatric disorders. The discovery could help researchers repurpose existing drugs for conditions including traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, and schizophrenia.

Ancient swimming creature provides clues to when nursing evolved

Aging-associated β-cell senescence is a key driver of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, its associated molecular mechanisms remain poorly explored. This study identifies Chromobox 4 (CBX4), a Polycomb group protein with SUMO E3 ligase activity, as an essential regulator of β-cell aging and function. The results show that CBX4 expression progressively downregulates in both aged and diabetic pancreatic islets. Targeted deletion of Cbx4 in β-cell accelerates cellular senescence, impairs...

The pursuit of high-energy-density lithium metal batteries is often hampered by severe safety hazards and limited cycle life, leading to increased environmental impact and higher costs. Here, we demonstrate that tuning the underappreciated miscibility between electrolyte components could provide an effective approach. By introducing a non-coordinating, non-flammable cyclic fluorinated diluent, we minimize diluent-ion pair intermolecular forces, thereby enabling the formation of isolated...

Black carbon (BC) is a highly toxic air pollutant and potent short-lived climate pollutant. China's Dual Carbon strategy-peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060-has driven rapid BC emission reductions. However, global inventories still misrepresent BC emissions in China, biasing estimates of its health and climate impacts. Using a localized BC inventory and revised health risk function, we estimate that over 540,000 premature deaths were attributable to...

The formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), first described in food science, is driven by hyperglycaemia (diabetes mellitus) and the modifications on long-lived proteins (natural ageing); AGE formation is enhanced by oxidative stress and inflammation, which are factors that accompany high-AGE settings of diabetes mellitus and ageing. Exogenous tobacco, ultra-processed foods, pollutants and alcohol contribute to AGE formation. Evidence demonstrates higher concentrations of AGEs in...

What is the ultimate goal of biogerontology (the study of the biology of aging)? A fashionable answer these days, often encountered, is that it is to extend healthspan not lifespan. Here we argue that this is a misguided cliché. Experimental research with animal models has demonstrated the possibility of intervening in and retarding the aging process, and extending lifespan. This, to varying degrees, increases both healthspan and gerospan, the later-life phase in diminished health. Considering...

Efficient muscle regeneration relies on the coordinated crosstalk between muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and their surrounding niche. Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), like resolvins, serve as critical autocrine and paracrine signals within this microenvironment, with macrophages acting as one of the primary sources of SPMs required to resolve inflammation and boost myogenesis. However, while dysregulation of endogenous SPM synthesis in aged skeletal muscle is known to drive chronic...