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NIH, NASA grantees are confused and concerned amid agencies’ piecemeal communication

Low vitamin D levels could be quietly making breast cancer surgery recovery far more painful. In a new study, patients deficient in vitamin D were three times more likely to experience moderate to severe pain after mastectomy surgery and ended up using significantly more opioid medication to cope. Researchers say vitamin D may help regulate how the body processes pain through its effects on inflammation and the immune system.

Jasmine Clark is set to become the first Black congresswoman with a science Ph.D.

Scientists have discovered that a topical anti-aging drug called ABT-263 can dramatically improve wound healing in older skin. The treatment works by removing damaged “senescent” cells that accumulate with age and slow the body’s repair process. In aged mice, wounds healed much faster after treatment, while the drug also activated genes tied to collagen production and tissue regeneration.

Scientists have identified a protein that appears to put the brakes on the chronic inflammation linked to aging. Older mice with boosted levels of the protein were stronger, more energetic, and had healthier bones than untreated mice. Researchers say the findings could eventually lead to therapies that help people stay healthier and more independent later in life.

People who lost significant weight while taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Saxenda had sharply lower risks of major obesity-related health problems, including sleep apnea and kidney disease. Those who gained weight instead faced higher risks — especially for heart failure — even though many patients discontinued the medications within a year.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by abnormal beta oscillations (13-30 Hz) within the basal ganglia, which contribute not only to motor symptoms but also to sleep disturbances. In this study, we developed a computational model of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical (BGTC) network that includes the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), to investigate the mechanism by which the abnormal oscillations disrupt sleep. The model incorporates key nuclei, neurotransmitter systems, and neural pathways to...

Differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative parkinsonian syndromes is complicated by overlapping clinical features and frequent co-pathology that challenges the interpretation of single-protein biomarkers. We evaluated a multimodal, minimally invasive biomarker strategy integrating dermal α-synuclein and 4-repeat tau seed amplification assays (SAAs) with serum neurofilament light chain. In a prospective cohort of 166 participants (Parkinson's disease, n = 40; multiple system atrophy, n = 29;...

Macrophage fate decisions during infection are commonly framed as receptor-proximal transcriptional choices. We propose that the functional outcome results from a "kinetic race," a dynamic proteostatic competition among protein synthesis, post-translational modifications (PTMs), and degradation. Building on experimental evidence of infection-induced proteostasis, we outline a conceptual "turnover-first" framework. In this model, we hypothesize that the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS),...

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have attracted interest as gerotherapeutics, yet clinical-trial evidence for their effects on biological aging is lacking. We report a post hoc exploratory epigenetic age analysis of a 32-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial (NCT04019197) of semaglutide in adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated lipohypertrophy (semaglutide n = 45; placebo n = 39). The parent trial's primary endpoint was change in...

.The uterine decidua is a key component of the maternal-fetal interface, and its senescence may be an important contributing factor to recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Decidual senescence disrupts gestational homeostasis via cell cycle arrest, immune imbalance, and metabolic reprogramming, thereby potentially contributing to RPL. This review offers a new paradigm for understanding RPL etiology, with significant clinical value for improving reproductive outcomes.

Companion dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) offer a unique model for studying the gut microbiome and its relation to aging due to their cohabitation with humans, sharing similar environments, diets, and healthcare practices. Here, we present the Dog Aging Project (DAP) Precision cohort, a large population-wide study of the canine gut microbiome. This cohort encompasses over 900 dogs of diverse breeds, environments, and demographics living across the United States. Coupling fecal shotgun metagenomic...

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) plays various roles in the ocean, acting as a signaling molecule at low concentrations and causing oxidative stress when accumulated. Here, we use transcriptomics, genetics, and metabolomics to study H(2)O(2) dynamics in the interaction between Emiliania huxleyi algae and Phaeobacter inhibens bacteria. We find that H(2)O(2) levels rise during algal death and that bacterial H(2)O(2) production triggers this demise. In co-cultures, but not in axenic algal cultures,...

DNA methylation changes are reliable biomarkers of aging, but the driving mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we present SCARLET (Stem Cells and Age-ReLated Epigenetic Trajectories), a parsimonious mathematical model that describes how methylation changes in blood arise and propagate through hematopoietic stem cell divisions. Using a large human cohort, we demonstrate that seemingly distinct age-related methylation patterns can be explained by a unifying mechanistic model. We show that...

CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study demonstrates the feasibility of estimating longer-term LTC cost trajectories based on early service utilization patterns, highlighting the potential role of care managers in shaping future cost trajectories. These findings may inform efforts to enhance the fiscal sustainability and quality of Japan's LTCI system.