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A rare cancer-fighting plant compound has been decoded

2 weeks 1 day ago
Scientists at UBC Okanagan have uncovered how plants produce mitraphylline, a rare natural compound with promising anti cancer potential. The team identified two enzymes that work together to build the molecule’s unusual twisted structure, solving a mystery that had puzzled researchers for years. Because mitraphylline appears only in tiny amounts in tropical plants like kratom and cat’s claw, the discovery could make it far easier to produce sustainably in the future.

Scientists discover a weak spot shared by polio and common cold viruses

2 weeks 1 day ago
Scientists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, have uncovered a crucial trick used by enteroviruses—the group behind diseases like polio, myocarditis, encephalitis, and even the common cold—to reproduce inside human cells. The team captured, in unprecedented detail, how viral RNA recruits both viral and human proteins to assemble the machinery needed for replication, acting almost like a molecular “on-off switch” that controls whether the virus copies itself or makes proteins.

New drugs could wipe out the “zombie cells” linked to cancer and aging

2 weeks 1 day ago
Researchers found a new way to kill harmful “zombie” cells that linger after chemotherapy and help cancers become more aggressive. These senescent cells survive by relying on a protective protein called GPX4, even while sitting on the edge of a deadly iron-triggered collapse. New drugs remove that protection, causing the cells to self-destruct. In mice, the approach reduced tumor size and boosted survival, hinting at a promising new cancer therapy.

This daily habit could lower dementia risk by 35%, scientists say

2 weeks 1 day ago
A huge long-term study found that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was linked to a much lower risk of dementia, especially before age 75. Researchers say caffeine may help keep brain cells active while reducing inflammation and harmful plaque buildup associated with Alzheimer’s disease. But more coffee wasn’t better — the protective effect appeared to level off after moderate intake.

Scientists reversed biological age in older adults with a 4-week diet change

2 weeks 2 days ago
A four-week diet change was enough to make some older adults appear biologically younger in a new University of Sydney study. Participants who reduced fat intake or shifted toward more plant-based protein showed improvements in key health biomarkers tied to aging. The strongest results came from a lower-fat, higher-carb diet, while people eating closer to their usual diets saw almost no change.

Scientists discover hidden fat-burning switch that could strengthen bones

2 weeks 2 days ago
Scientists at McGill University have uncovered a hidden molecular “switch” that turns on a powerful calorie-burning system in brown fat — the body’s heat-generating fat linked to metabolism and weight control. The breakthrough centers on glycerol, a molecule released when fat is broken down in the cold, which activates an enzyme called TNAP and triggers an alternative heat-producing pathway that scientists had struggled to explain for years.

Brain endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles (c-BEEVs) as a promising biomarker for brain vascular pathology and cognitive decline

2 weeks 2 days ago
Accurate measurement of brain vascular pathology is essential for understanding its role in cognitive aging. Here we classified participants using the amyloid-tau-neurodegeneration framework in a multicenter cohort and identified cerebrospinal fluid brain endothelial-derived small extracellular vesicles (c-BEEVs) as a sensitive biomarker, which correlated with vascular risk factors and the severity of small-vessel disease. c-BEEVs showed high diagnostic performance for vascular cognitive...
Tongyao You

Temporal patterns of depressive symptoms and risk of osteoarthritis: A multi-cohort longitudinal analysis

2 weeks 2 days ago
CONCLUSION: Adverse trajectories of depressive symptoms, particularly persistent and increasing patterns, are consistently associated with elevated osteoarthritis risk across diverse populations. These findings underscore the importance of longitudinal mental health monitoring and suggest that early intervention for depressive symptoms may represent a modifiable pathway for osteoarthritis prevention. The observed effect modification patterns highlight the need for population-specific and...
Haoran Zhu

Interpretable machine learning with SHAP analysis identifies redox-modulating dietary antioxidants for predicting accelerated biological aging

2 weeks 2 days ago
CONCLUSION: The interpretable machine learning framework based on dietary antioxidant profiles can robustly predict accelerated biological aging. XGBoost demonstrated the best performance in predicting accelerated aging risk. Daidzein, apigenin, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin E are core dietary antioxidants closely associated with a reduced risk of accelerated biological aging. This study provides analytical reference at the large population level for the development of nutritional intervention...
Bei Zhang

The relationship between intrinsic capacity and functional ability - identifying key environmental features to support healthy ageing

2 weeks 2 days ago
CONCLUSION: In addition to the vitality, cognition and psychology IC domains, environmental factors including sufficiency of care, housing prices and PM(10) showed important direct associations with FA. Interactions between IC and the environment primarily involved social environmental factors. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these direct and interactive associations.
Jaro Govaerts

Association between adverse childhood experiences and intrinsic capacity impairment among middle-aged and older adults in China: A nationwide cross-sectional survey from CHARLS

2 weeks 2 days ago
CONCLUSION: Greater degrees of ACEs exposure are associated with a heightened risk of IC impairment in middle-aged and older adults aged 45 and above in China. These findings highlight the importance of targeted screening and life-course trauma-informed care for individuals with high ACEs exposure in effectively identifying those at high risk of IC impairment and promoting healthy aging.
Xiaobing Xian

Immunotherapy for Senescent Cell Clearance: Hallmarks, Strategies and Translational Challenges

2 weeks 2 days ago
Cellular senescence, a complex multifactorial process, is involved in the pathophysiology of various age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Traditional interventions targeting single mechanisms yield limited efficacy. As a core hallmark and driver of aging, immunosenescence provides a critical target for precision interventions. This systematic review examines the hallmarks of aging, including cellular damage, epigenetic abnormalities, and...
Wenjie Zhang

Manganese (Hydr)oxides record the dynamic evolution of a million-year Hesperian Ocean in Utopia Planitia, Mars

2 weeks 2 days ago
The duration and dynamic evolution of surface water on Mars are key to understanding its past habitability. Utopia Planitia, Mars' largest northern basin, preserves mineralogical signatures of ancient aqueous activity that remains chronologically unconstrained. Here, we present the quantitative reconstruction of the Hesperian Ocean's lifecycle using spectral analysis of manganese (Mn) (hydr)oxides as paleohydrological markers. Our innovative Spectral Contrastive-Aware Network, a deep learning...
Bingxu Hou