Aggregator
AI, peer review and the human activity of science
Eureka! The brain science behind lightbulb moments
Hormone helps mice live longer and avoid obesity
Federal judge orders agencies to restore grants to University of California scientists
Ruling on first class action suit reversing terminations may be expanded to entire government
In latest blow, National Science Foundation staff to be booted from their headquarters
Trump administration is giving building to housing department but has not said where science agency will go
Global warming is triggering earthquakes in the Alps
Study provides first solid link between climate change and earthquake hazard
A mammoth boomerang returns new clues about early human toolmaking
New dates for a throwing weapon found in Poland reveal it as one of the earliest of its kind
Prestigious NSF graduate fellowship tilts toward AI and quantum
Students in the life sciences are shut out of latest cohort of 500 fellows
National rare disease effort among those upended by Trump’s freeze on Harvard grants
White House battle with Ivy League school disrupts databases and networks relied on by other universities
Following court order, NIH ceases new terminations of politically sensitive grants
After a judge told agency to restore hundreds of killed grants, NIH backs off plans to cancel more existing projects
The R136S mutation in the APOE3 gene confers resilience against tau pathology via inhibition of the cGAS-STING-IFN pathway
The Christchurch mutation (R136S) in the APOE3 (E3S/S) gene is associated with attenuated tau load and cognitive decline despite the presence of a causal PSEN1 mutation and high amyloid burden in the carrier. However, the molecular mechanisms enabling the E3S/S mutation to mitigate tau-induced neurodegeneration remain unclear. Here, we replaced mouse Apoe with wild-type human APOE3 or APOE3S/S on a tauopathy background. The R136S mutation decreased tau load and protected against tau-induced...
Granzyme K<sup>+</sup> CD8 T cells slow tauopathy progression by targeting microglia
Neurodegenerative diseases activate innate and adaptive immune responses that can either slow or accelerate disease progression. Here, we sought to define beneficial immune pressures that emerge during tauopathy development in mice and humans. Using mice that express mutant human tau in neurons, we observed that microglia slowed tauopathy development by controlling the spread of phosphorylated tau (pTau) in the central nervous system and blood. However, over time microglia converted into...
Unpicking the effects of FGF21 on longevity
No abstract
Indicators of mortality risk in ageing horses
Clinical care for patients with limited life expectancy often requires adjustments, prioritizing immediate benefits over long-term outcomes, as the relevance of future complications diminishes. This study identifies indicators of mortality risk in horses with chronic orthopaedic conditions to enhance individualized care and welfare. Over 3 years, 123 chronically lame horses and 6 healthy control horses at an animal sanctuary underwent regular (every 3 months) comprehensive health assessments and...
Effect of deterioration of swallowing functions on the frailty status in older adults: a longitudinal cohort study
CONCLUSION: This study found a significant association between frailty and multiple factors, particularly oral function. Specifically, diminished swallowing function has emerged as a notable independent predictor of frailty progression.
Can cognitive reserve offset APOE-related Alzheimer's risk? A systematic review
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurocognitive disorder that affects a significant part of the population. Its symptoms include progressive loss of memory and executive dysfunction. Genetic susceptibility to AD can be influenced by allele variants of the APOE gene. On the other hand, lifelong experiences such as educational attainment, occupational complexity, and leisure activities, known proxies for cognitive reserve (CR), may modulate gene expression, ultimately impacting AD susceptibility. In...
Start the engine of neuroregeneration: A mechanistic and strategic overview of direct astrocyte-to-neuron reprogramming
The decline of adult neurogenesis and neuronal function during aging underlies the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Conventional therapies, including neurotransmitter modulators and antibodies targeting pathogenic proteins, offer only symptomatic improvement. As the most abundant glial cells in the brain, astrocytes outnumber neurons nearly fivefold. However, their proliferative and transdifferentiation potential renders them ideal candidates for...
The potential role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in Alzheimer's disease: Protective or detrimental
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main cause of dementia in the old-age population worldwide. AD is a progressive brain neurodegenerative disease due to genetic and environmental factors that induce the accumulation of intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau protein and extracellular amyloid protein (Aβ). Particularly, cholinergic neurons in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus are mainly affected in AD, resulting in cognitive impairment and memory dysfunction. Therefore, restoration of cholinergic...
The lncRNA Gas5 is an activity-responsive scaffold that mediates cAMP-dependent synaptic plasticity
Changes in the transcriptome are critical in shaping the structural plasticity of neurons, which underpins learning and long-term memory storage. Here, we explored the effect of two opposing, plasticity-associated pathways-cAMP second-messenger signaling and metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR1 and mGluR5) signaling-on the transcriptome in hippocampal neurons and how these pathways operate in distinct and coordinated manners to induce structural changes. Integration of transcriptome data and...
Shorter life- and health-span, disturbed insulin-like growth factor signalling in cannabinoid receptor type-1 knockout mice
Cannabinoid receptor type-1 (Cnr1) signalling declines with age, which may contribute to the ageing process, as Cnr1 activity influences several hallmarks of ageing. Indeed, previous studies have shown that mice with a genetic deletion of Cnr1 (Cnr1^(-/-)) exhibit an early onset of brain ageing. However, it is not yet clear whether Cnr1 activity influences life span and the pace of bodily ageing. Thus, we asked whether the life- and health-span of Cnr1^(-/-) mice differs from their wild-type...