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Cellular senescence is a fundamental hallmark of aging and represents a major barrier to the scalable and reproducible application of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). Senescent human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (hUCMSCs) exhibit impaired proliferative capacity, disrupted mitochondrial homeostasis, and altered secretory phenotypes, which may compromise the biological activity and therapeutic reliability of sEVs. Here, we investigated whether...

Aging is accompanied by arterial dysfunction, defined by impaired endothelial function and increased large artery stiffness, yet the contribution of the endothelial glycocalyx (eGC) and its constituent, hyaluronan (HA), to this process remains incompletely understood. We tested the hypothesis that decreasing endothelial HA synthesis via a reduction in endothelial-specific HA synthase 2 (HAS2) compromises eGC integrity and contributes to arterial dysfunction with advancing age. Both...

Ageing impairs immune function, increasing susceptibility to infection, autoimmunity and inflammation. The thymus undergoes involution during childhood, and thymocyte and thymic epithelial cell (TEC) numbers decline. Given that adaptive immunity depends on T-cells recognising diverse antigens via their unique T-cell receptor (TCR), the precise age-related changes in TCR repertoire composition are key to understand immunity. To investigate the influence of age on the thymic TCR repertoire we...

Age-related taste dysfunction impairs nutrition and quality of life, contributing to metabolic disorders and frailty in the elderly, yet its cellular and molecular basis remains poorly understood. By integrating single-cell RNA and spatial transcriptomics sequencing, we systematically mapped murine taste bud aging across five developmental stages from neonatal to aged. Our findings reveal that age-associated taste impairment is driven by the progressive depletion of stem/progenitor cell...

The clinical outcomes of trabeculectomy, a standard glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS), have dramatically improved with the introduction of mitomycin C (MMC), an antimetabolite widely used to inhibit postoperative scarring. MMC exerts anti-scarring effects primarily by promoting apoptosis and suppressing fibroblast proliferation at the surgical site. However, despite these beneficial effects, MMC also induces the production of inflammatory cytokines, and its full mechanism of action remains...

Redox imbalances and mitochondrial dysfunction are key contributors to age-related declines in skeletal muscle and may contribute to impaired exercise responsiveness. Here, we investigated the influence of aging on skeletal muscle redox at rest and in response to acute exercise, examining how mitochondrial quality and quantity relate to skeletal muscle redox status. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained from 12 young (22 ± 4 years) and 10 older adults (66 ± 7 years) before and immediately after...

Mammalian cochlear hair cells convert acoustic stimuli into electrical signals, which are relayed to the central auditory pathway via auditory neurons. Progressive loss of hair cells and their synapses is a characteristic of age-related hearing loss (ARHL), but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that hair cell physiological properties change with age in CBA/CaJ mice, a strain known for its slow ARHL progression. We found that hair cell...

People who participated in colorectal cancer screening had a 43% lower risk of dying from the disease, according to long-term data from more than 376,000 people in Sweden. The findings suggest that completing a simple at-home screening test could make a major difference in survival.

Appointment of John Gaitanis increases concern that scientific qualifications are no longer driving leadership picks

Kosovo shows how surveillance can uncover hidden circulation—and help countries prepare before human cases appear

A compound made when gut bacteria break down dietary fiber may do more than briefly calm inflammation—it could leave a lasting protective “memory” in the gut. Northwestern Medicine researchers found that butyrate can reprogram intestinal lining cells so they continue encouraging anti-inflammatory immune responses even after the compound is gone. In mice, this effect boosted production of the immune-calming molecule IL-10 and reduced the severity of colitis-like disease.

Ozempic may work in the brain in almost the opposite way scientists expected, activating hunger-linked neurons that appear essential for sustaining fat loss. The surprising discovery in mice could reveal new targets for developing even more effective obesity drugs.

Beefy tracks point to a Cretaceous critter as big as a large dog or mountain lion

Knee osteoarthritis can seriously affect mobility and quality of life, but its progression isn’t completely out of your control. Exercise, stronger leg muscles, a healthier diet, and even modest weight loss can dramatically reduce stress on the knees and help keep pain in check.

Specialized brain scans reveal that schizophrenia is linked to widespread loss of the synapses that connect brain cells, with the left side of the brain hit especially hard. The damage follows a surprisingly organized pattern tied to the brain’s chemistry and wiring. Researchers also identified a left frontal region that may serve as a starting point for the loss.