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The U.S. Eradicated this flesh-eating parasite. Now it’s back
The flesh eating New World screwworm has returned to the United States, threatening livestock, wildlife, pets and potentially people as it spreads north. A new UC San Diego tracking system aims to predict where the parasite could strike next while officials revive the eradication strategy that defeated it decades ago.
APOE-stratified genome-wide association analyses provide insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimers's disease
Among the more than 90 identified genetic risk loci for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias, the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene ɛ2/ɛ3/ɛ4 polymorphisms remain the longstanding benchmark for genetic disease risk with a consistently large effect across studies^(1-10). Despite this massive signal, the exact mechanisms by which ɛ4 increases and ɛ2 decreases dementia risk remain poorly understood. Notably, recent trials of anti-amyloid therapies suggest less efficacy and higher...
A microprotein atlas of the human frontal cortex in Alzheimer's disease
Understanding the molecular basis of neurodegeneration requires a comprehensive map of the genome's protein-coding output. Although thousands of small open reading frames (ORFs) are translated in the human brain, proteomic evidence for their encoded microproteins (MPs) (≤150 amino acids (aa)) remains limited. Here, we present a brain MP atlas that integrates transcriptomics, mass spectrometry and deep-learning-predicted spectra across more than 600 postmortem frontal cortex samples with and...
A microprotein atlas of the human frontal cortex in Alzheimer's disease
Understanding the molecular basis of neurodegeneration requires a comprehensive map of the genome's protein-coding output. Although thousands of small open reading frames (ORFs) are translated in the human brain, proteomic evidence for their encoded microproteins (MPs) (≤150 amino acids (aa)) remains limited. Here, we present a brain MP atlas that integrates transcriptomics, mass spectrometry and deep-learning-predicted spectra across more than 600 postmortem frontal cortex samples with and...
Somatic mosaicism in the brain: linking development, ageing and neurodegeneration
Somatic mosaicism is increasingly recognized as a pervasive feature of the human brain and a potential contributor to neurological disease across the lifespan. Unlike germline variants, somatic variants arise post-zygotically and are unevenly distributed across regions, cell types and even individual neurons, enabling focal biological effects that can scale to network-level dysfunction. In this Review, we synthesize current evidence that developmental timing, clonal architecture and...
Associations between multidimensional sleep measures and domain-specific cognitive function across repeated observations in adults aged 55 years and older
Sleep is increasingly recognised as a potentially modifiable factor in cognitive ageing, but evidence is often limited by cross-sectional designs, single sleep measures and global cognitive outcomes. This study examined whether multiple sleep characteristics (device-based and self-report) were associated with domain-specific cognitive function across repeated observations in community-dwelling adults aged 55 years and older. Adults aged ≥ 55 years were assessed at three time points over 2 years...
Duration of smoking cessation and DNA methylation aging clocks among US adults: potential reversibility of smoking-induced biological aging
Tobacco smoking is a critical modifiable risk factor for age-related diseases and mortality. Although smoking cessation is known to improve health outcomes, whether smoking-induced biological aging is reversible upon cessation remains unclear. We investigated the associations of smoking status and cessation duration with epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) using multi-generational DNA methylation clocks. We analyzed data from 1,911 adults aged 50-84 years in the National Health and Nutrition...
Work stress and healthy aging: A conceptual framework for the Semmelweis study and the Semmelweis-EUniWell workplace health promotion model program
Chronic occupational stress is increasingly recognized as a modifiable accelerator of biological aging, yet it remains underappreciated as a target of geroscience-informed public health intervention. This review reframes workplace stress as a life-course determinant of aging trajectories and introduces a translational framework that positions occupational environments as platforms for promoting healthy aging. Drawing on insights from the Semmelweis Study, a large longitudinal occupational...
Exclusive: New NIH research center on vaccine harms takes shape
Clinical researchers will probe complications that can arise after immunization, but some worry about political influence