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MIT scientists discover amino acid that helps the gut heal itself

2 weeks ago
MIT scientists have identified cysteine — an amino acid found in foods like meat, dairy, beans, and nuts — as a potent trigger for intestinal repair. In mice, a cysteine-rich diet activated immune cells that released healing signals, helping stem cells rebuild damaged intestinal tissue after radiation exposure. Researchers say the discovery could eventually lead to new dietary therapies for cancer patients suffering from treatment-related gut damage.

Scientists found a hidden Alzheimer’s trigger and shut it down

2 weeks ago
A newly identified enzyme called IDOL could become a major new target in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that removing it from neurons sharply reduced amyloid plaques and improved key brain processes linked to resilience and communication between cells. The discovery may lead to future treatments that go beyond slowing Alzheimer’s — potentially helping protect the brain from further decline.

Scientists use light to create tiny molecules that could transform medicine

2 weeks ago
Researchers have developed a light-driven method for creating tiny, high-energy “housane” molecules that are valuable for drug development and materials science. These compact ring-shaped structures are difficult to produce because of the intense internal strain they contain. By using photocatalysis and carefully tuning the starting molecules, the team managed to guide the reaction into a clean and efficient pathway.

O-GlcNAcylation reprograms microglial inflammatory states and attenuates Alzheimer's disease pathology

2 weeks ago
Chronic neuroinflammation, primarily driven by microglia, is a hallmark and key contributor to Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. O-GlcNAcylation, a nutrient-sensitive post-translational modification, has emerged as a key regulator of cellular stress and inflammation, yet its role in microglial activation in AD remains unclear. We observed that hippocampal tissue from AD patients exhibits a marked reduction in O-GlcNAcylation, accompanied by enhanced pro-inflammatory M1 microglial...
Dong Yeol Kim

Dual platform spatial transcriptomics reveals parvalbumin interneuron subtype vulnerability in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease

2 weeks ago
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline and synaptic dysfunction. Among the earliest regions affected is the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), where parvalbumin-expressing (PV + ) interneurons are particularly susceptible to AD-related pathology. To understand the molecular alterations within these vulnerable neurons we employed a dual-platform spatial transcriptomics approach, integrating GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) and Xenium...
Heewon Seo

Tau aggregates cause reactivation of transposable DNA elements, leading to Z-RNA-ZBP1-mediated neuronal death

2 weeks ago
Once tau aggregates are formed, their neurotoxicity significantly contributes to neuronal death and cognitive decline in tauopathies, with Alzheimer's disease being the most well-known example. Despite its central pathogenic role, however, effective therapeutic strategies targeting the neurotoxicity of tau remain poor. Here we demonstrate the pathogenic role of neuronal cell death in tau-related neurodegeneration (PS19 mouse model). Tau-expressing neurons undergo cell death through Z-DNA-binding...
Wei Liu

Crosstalk between lipid metabolism and epigenetics in cellular senescence and age-related diseases

2 weeks ago
Cellular senescence induced by internal and external stimuli features stable cell cycle arrest and SASP, closely linked to aging and various age-related diseases. It is accompanied by lipid metabolism disorders and epigenetic abnormalities, which interact closely to modulate senescence. This review summarizes their crosstalk in senescence and relevant diseases, aiming to offer new insights and therapeutic targets for alleviating cellular senescence and treating age-related diseases.
Xiao Yu

Autoinhibitory feedback preserves intestinal stem cell maintenance and fate commitment

2 weeks ago
Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) continuously renew the gut epithelium by producing specialised cell types, yet the mechanisms that couple ISC renewal with lineage commitment remain poorly characterised. Here, we identify a self-limiting transcriptional program, mediated by the zinc-finger transcription factor Chronophage (Cph), that promotes both ISC maintenance and differentiation into enteroendocrine (EE) cells in the Drosophila midgut. Cph expression is transiently induced by the proneural...
Siamak Redhai