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Immunotherapy and senolytics in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: phase 2 trial results
Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy have improved patient outcomes, yet responses to immunotherapy remain moderate. Immunosenescence has been shown to contribute to the development and progression of various diseases; however, its specific role in solid tumors has not been fully delineated. Here we conducted a phase 2 clinical trial involving 51 patients with cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and applied single-cell RNA as well as TCR and BCR sequencing on tumor and blood...
Chronic pain in older adults with psychiatric disorders: the DoCPPA study protocol
BACKGROUND: Chronic pain (CP) and psychiatric disorders (PD) are common in older adults, and they both may significantly impact patients' functioning and quality of life. However, research on the prevalence and impact of CP in people with PD remains limited- especially in older adults- and psychiatric care often neglects somatic comorbidities.
Migration shapes senescence in a long-lived bird
Each year, billions of animals migrate across the globe on diverse spatial and temporal scales. Migration behavior thus plays a fundamental role in the life cycle and Darwinian fitness of many organisms. While the influence of migration on early-life survival and reproduction is well documented, its effects on senescence (aging) in advanced age remain largely unexplored. Using a unique 44-y ring-resighting dataset from a long-lived, partially migratory bird species, the Greater Flamingo...
Cohort mortality forecasts indicate signs of deceleration in life expectancy gains
The fast-paced improvements in mortality in high-income countries since the early 1900s have led to a sustained increase in life expectancy. However, whether this linear trend will continue or life expectancy gains will decelerate in the near future remains unclear. To answer this question, we apply multiple established and recently developed mortality forecasting methods to estimate cohort life expectancy for individuals born between 1939 and 2000 in 23 high-income countries. Across all...
Beta-Hydroxybutyrate but not NMN supplementation mimics caloric restriction reducing early mortality in Daphnia
NAD + homeostasis is an important determinant of lifespan and may be a key mechanism of caloric restriction (CR) expansion of lifespan. Ketone bodies such as beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) that regulate NAD + abundance and NAD + precursors such nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), are known to extend life in experimental animals and ameliorate age-related conditions in humans. We tested the hypothesis that chronic BHB and NMN exposure can extend lifespan similarly to the effect of CR treatment in a...
A novel <em>C. elegans</em> model for MAPT/Tau spreading reveals genes critical for endolysosomal integrity and seeded MAPT/Tau aggregation
The spreading of MAPT/Tau pathology is closely associated with the progression of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease and other tauopathies. A key event in this process is the rupture of endolysosomal vesicles following the intercellular transfer of MAPT/Tau aggregates, releasing the transferred MAPT/Tau species into the cytosol where they can promote the aggregation of endogenous MAPT/Tau. However, understanding of the cellular pathways involved in this process remains...
Patient-reported discordance between care goals and treatment intent in advanced cancer
CONCLUSION: Compared to patients with other serious illnesses, a relatively large portion of patients with advanced cancer reported that their treatment discordantly focused on longevity over comfort despite their goal to prioritize comfort over longevity.
Curcumin and neuroplasticity: epigenetic mechanisms underlying cognitive enhancement in aging and neurodegenerative disorders
Aging and neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by cognitive decline, impaired neuroplasticity, and epigenetic dysregulation. Curcumin, a bioactive polyphenol derived from Curcuma longa, has gained significant attention for its neuroprotective properties, particularly in enhancing cognitive function through epigenetic mechanisms. This review explores the multifaceted role of curcumin in modulating key molecular pathways involved in neuroplasticity, including histone modifications, DNA...
How a self-taught biologist transformed nature writing — and inspired Darwin
My moonshot to preserve endangered species
I trawl coastlines to study the impacts of microplastics on marine life
Trump administration pushes ahead with NOAA climate and weather cuts
Despite congressional resistance, agency aims to cut research spending now
AI-generated scientific hypotheses lag human ones when put to the test
Machines still face hurdles in identifying fresh research paths, study suggests
Age-associated trajectories of hippocampus subregion volumes from childhood through later adulthood
The hippocampus has been widely implicated in the neurobiology of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. This structure is heterogeneous, however, and comprised of multiple subregions that have different connectivity patterns and functions. Better understanding how these subregions are affected by age and their relationship with neurocognition could provide information regarding how alterations in normal trajectories play a role in disease and cognitive dysfunction. Using natural splines we...
Personalized cognitive enhancement for older adults: An aging-friendly closed-loop human-machine interface framework
Emerging digitally delivered non-pharmacological interventions (dNPIs) offer scalable, low-risk solutions for enhancing cognitive function in older adults, yet their effectiveness remains inconsistent due to a lack of personalization and precise mechanisms of action. Generic, population-based designs often fail to predict individual gains, underscoring the need for more tailored approaches. To address this, we propose a closed-loop human-machine interface (HMI) framework for personalizing dNPIs...
KDM4 Orchestrates Epigenomic Remodeling of Senescent Cells and Potentiates the Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype
Cellular senescence restrains the expansion of neoplastic cells through several layers of regulation. We report that the histone H3-specific demethylase KDM4 is expressed as human stromal cells undergo senescence. In clinical oncology, upregulated KDM4 and diminished H3K9/H3K36 methylation correlate with poorer survival of patients with prostate cancer after chemotherapy. Global chromatin accessibility mapping via assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing, and...
Age-dependent effect of environmental enrichment on the neural 3D chromatin interactome
Aging is a multifactorial biological process resulting in physiological and cellular decline. However, our understanding of age-related changes in 3D genome organization and the effect of external interventions on this process remains limited. Here, we describe alterations in the landscape of the 3D chromatin interactome upon aging, utilizing the low-input promoter capture Hi-C (liCHi-C) technique with mouse hippocampal neurons. We also integrated liCHi-C data with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data...
Aging and liver health: liver chemistries and associated factors in community-dwelling older adults
CONCLUSIONS: Liver chemistries in community-dwelling older adults with normal nutritional status were within the normal reference range used for adults. There were small but statistically significant differences with age, sex, and intensity of statin therapy. ALT declined with age, and further prospective studies are required to determine cut-offs for increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes.
Lysosomal polyamine storage upon ATP13A2 loss impairs β-glucocerebrosidase via altered lysosomal pH and electrostatic hydrolase-lipid interactions
ATP13A2 is an endolysosomal polyamine transporter mutated in several neurodegenerative conditions involving lysosomal defects, including Parkinson's disease (PD). While polyamines are polybasic and polycationic molecules that play pleiotropic cellular roles, their specific impact on lysosomal health is unknown. Here, we demonstrate lysosomal polyamine accumulation in ATP13A2 knockout (KO) cell lines and human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons. Primary polyamine storage caused...
Cobalt-based catalyst for ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions via transient confinement
The Haber-Bosch process is used for industrial ammonia production worldwide, and it accounts for ~2% of the global energy consumption and 1.3% anthropogenic carbon footprint. Ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions with minimum carbon emission is highly desired, but it is still in the initial stage. Herein, we report a cobalt-based catalyst for ammonia continuous synthesis under ambient conditions via mechanochemistry. To describe mechanochemistry of ammonia synthesis, density functional...