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α-Synuclein Promotes Atherosclerosis by Impairing Macrophage Autophagic Flux
Atherosclerosis, recognized as a prototypical age-associated vascular disease, is driven by macrophage foam cell formation. Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibit an elevated risk for stroke. While α-synuclein (α-Syn) is known for its neuronal role in PD, its presence in the circulation and potential vascular effects remain unexplored. Here, we identify α-Syn as a previously unrecognized circulating factor that promotes atherosclerosis. α-Syn was detected in human atherosclerotic...
uPAR-Targeting T Cell Engager Exerts Senolytic Effects in Mice and Non-Human Primates With Serum Aminotransferase Activity as a Safety Monitor
Senolytic CAR-T cells targeting uPAR induce dose-dependent toxicities. Although dosage adjustment mitigates these toxicities in laboratory mice, clinical translation remains challenging owing to the unpredictability of CAR-T cell proliferation across heterogeneous patient populations. In contrast, bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) offer a safer alternative with superior dose-titratability. Here, we have developed a GFD-CD3 BiTE by employing the growth factor-like domain (GFD) of the natural...
Kruppel-like factors regulate lipid homeostasis to modulate SKN-1/Nrf activity, oxidative stress resistance and longevity
Maintenance of lipid and redox homeostasis is essential for stress resistance and longevity, but the transcriptional networks coordinating these processes remain incompletely understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the transcription factors SKN-1A/Nrf1 and SKN-1C/Nrf2 mediate distinct stress responses that promote proteostasis, lipid homeostasis, and oxidative stress resistance. Here, we identify the Krüppel-like factor KLF-1 as a regulator of lipid accumulation that modulates SKN-1 activity....
Ghrelin Alleviates Aging-Related Cognitive Impairment by Regulating Autophagy-Related Signaling via the SHBG/JNK1/Beclin1 Axis in Microglia
Cognitive impairment (CI) associated with aging and immunosenescence is linked to metabolic alterations. Microglial senescence and dysregulated autophagy have been implicated as major contributors to this process, but the underlying metabolic regulators remain unclear. This study aimed to identify key metabolic regulators of CI and elucidate their underlying mechanisms. Human cohort analyses, older and D-galactose (D-gal)-induced mouse models, and microglial cell models were integrated to...
How to put people first in cyberspace
A new chapter in targeting kinase enzymes in cancer
China wants to build world-leading science journals — can it be done?
AI can widen science — but only if institutions stop rewarding the already measurable
Why AI-authorship debates miss a deeper shift in how scholarly knowledge is produced
The cost of lost labour on a warming planet
Patents alone won’t unlock critical-mineral supply chains
Biodiversity protection must include language preservation
PhD training should encourage ethical dissent
Diabetes study finds keeping blood sugar too steady may come at a price
People with diabetes reported better quality of life after days when their glucose stayed largely within a healthy range, even when levels fluctuated more than usual. The unexpected finding suggests that pursuing extremely tight glucose control may sometimes come with a hidden lifestyle burden.
Scientists just discovered what coffee really does to your gut and brain
A new study suggests coffee may influence mood and brain function by changing the activity of microbes in the gut. Both caffeinated and decaf coffee were linked to lower stress, depression, and impulsivity, while also producing measurable changes in gut bacteria and metabolites. Decaf was associated with better learning and memory, while caffeinated coffee appeared to reduce anxiety and improve attention.
Blood tests reveal why astronauts get constipated in space
Spaceflight may dramatically change the gut within weeks, causing bacteria to break down more protein as food moves more slowly through the intestines. The shift could help explain astronaut constipation and may have wider effects on health, making it an important concern for future missions to Mars.
Pomegranate compound improves heart function by up to 80% in study
A compound the body can make after eating pomegranates, walnuts, and some berries improved measures of heart function by up to 80% in animal models of a difficult-to-treat form of heart failure. Urolithin A helped stiff heart tissue relax and reduced scarring and abnormal enlargement. It also improved relaxation in engineered human heart tissue.
ALKBH5-mediated microglia-neuron crosstalk inhibits sympathetic innervation and adipocyte browning in male mice
Interactions between nervous system and adipose tissue are involved in the regulation of adipocyte browning. However, whether microglial activation participates in the regulation of cold exposure-induced sympathetic innervation and adipocyte browning is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that RNA m6A demethylase ALKBH5 in the microglia nucleus of hypothalamus (PVH) region inhibits cold exposure-induced adipocyte browning in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) of male mice. The single...
CD38-activated macrophages drive age-related placental senescence by depleting NAD(+) in decidual stromal cells
As delayed childbearing becomes increasingly common, elucidating the mechanisms of age-related placental senescence is critical for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Here, we integrate metabolomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics to uncover conserved features of aged placentas in humans, mice, and pigs, namely, increased macrophage CD38 expression and NAD⁺ deficiency. Through pharmacological and genetic approaches, we demonstrate that macrophage CD38...
Old hearts age backwards: transplanted organs adjust to host's biological age
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