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Even mild inflammation during pregnancy led mouse offspring to develop persistent brain overactivity, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviors, and increased seizure risk. Remarkably, one dose of rapamycin improved nearly all of these problems within about two hours. The benefits were temporary, but they suggest that adult brain circuits may remain far more adaptable than previously believed.

Scientists expected SuperAgers might simply inherit fewer Alzheimer’s-related risks, but their genes looked much like those of typical older adults. Their extraordinary memories may instead come from still-unknown protective forces involving the brain, body, lifestyle, and environment.

A major long-term study linked coffee consumption with lower risks of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death from liver disease. Coffee drinkers also showed healthier liver scans and blood protein patterns, with less fat, inflammation, and scarring. Benefits appeared even at one or two cups daily and were strongest around three to four cups.

Newer oral drugs related to semaglutide medications such as Ozempic reduced pleasure-driven eating in mice by quieting a deep brain reward circuit. The finding could open new avenues for understanding food cravings and potentially treating substance use disorder.

A prebiotic fiber supplement reduced knee osteoarthritis pain while also improving grip strength and pain sensitivity in a six-week trial. The results hint at a fascinating gut-muscle-pain connection and suggest that a simple daily supplement may be easier to maintain than digital physiotherapy.

Stanford Medicine researchers have discovered a naturally occurring molecule that may suppress appetite and reduce body weight much like Ozempic, but without several of its common side effects. The molecule, called BRP, acts on a more targeted region of the brain involved in hunger and metabolism rather than affecting tissues throughout the body.

A sulfur-based compound called LASSS appears to protect and supercharge a key protein involved in repairing damaged muscle. The discovery could eventually lead to new ways to slow muscle loss and preserve strength as people age.

An experimental pill prevented a measles-like virus from spreading through the air or through close contact in ferrets. It worked when given shortly before or after exposure and also shortened illness and the period when infected animals remained contagious. Researchers say the drug could one day complement vaccination and make outbreaks easier to contain.

Science chats with cognitive psychologist Kelly Jaakkola about why this complex behavior is so difficult to find in the animal kingdom

With cancellation of health disparities project, agency may be testing new way to legally kill politically sensitive grants

Ozempic, Wegovy, and similar drugs may deliver excellent health value, but covering them for millions of eligible patients could overwhelm insurance budgets. Researchers say better long-term support is needed and warn that low-cost compounded versions may carry serious safety risks.

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Fetal tissue transplantation established proof-of-concept for dopamine cell replacement in Parkinson's disease but yielded inconsistent outcomes due to limited tissue availability and cellular heterogeneity. Advances in generating high-purity dopamine progenitors from pluripotent stem cells have enabled standardized products that show safety and motor improvement in clinical trials. However, these trials revealed divergent outcomes arising at three levels: between clinical studies, driven by...

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) have been implicated in aging and disease for decades and are typically viewed as a unitary, non-specific oxidative burden on cells and tissues. However, recent studies have identified at least eleven individual sources of mitochondrial ROS (ISOMRs) and revealed that ISOMRs have distinct, dynamic, and often reversible roles in diverse physiological and pathological processes, including neurodegenerative diseases, immune and metabolic dysregulation,...

Cellular senescence is a central driver of organismal ageing and related pathologies, primarily promoting chronic inflammation and tissue dysfunction through the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Unlike senolytics, which aim to eliminate senescent cells, senomorphic agents offer a complementary therapeutic strategy by modulating the SASP without clearing the cells, thereby preserving their potential physiological functions. This review systematically elucidates the multi-target...

Endometriosis (EMs) is characterized by chronic pelvic inflammation, but the etiology of this inflammation remains poorly understood. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), whereby senescent cells secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines, is a potential mechanism. This study investigates the pro-inflammatory SASP in EMs and its underlying influences. Through molecular assays and single-cell RNA-seq analysis, we found a subgroup of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) marked by SASP in both...

T follicular helper (T(FH)) cells support B cell function by promoting memory B cell differentiation and sustaining long-lasting antibody responses, thereby enabling immunity that protects the host from subsequent infections. T(FH) cells are essential for orchestrating the antibody-mediated immunity achieved via vaccination, which has had a profound global impact in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases. T(FH) cells provide help to B cells both within and...

Dietary protein is a key regulator of metabolic health in humans and rodents. Many of the benefits of protein restriction are mediated by reduced intake of dietary branched-chain amino acids (leucine, valine and isoleucine) and restriction of the branched-chain amino acids is sufficient to extend healthspan and lifespan in mice. Here we find that valine restriction (Val-R) improves metabolic health in C57BL/6J mice, promotes leanness and glycemic control across ages, and reduces frailty, cancer...

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with accelerated cognitive aging and increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), yet the biological substrates linking trauma-related psychiatric illness to altered brain aging trajectories remain poorly defined. The basolateral amygdala plays a central role in threat processing and emotional memory and exhibits persistent hyperactivity in PTSD, but its molecular and pathological state in aging individuals with PTSD...

Macroautophagy/autophagy is a well-established homeostatic mechanism that contributes to the integrity of multiple regulatory biological activities including but not limited to the gastro-intestinal tract and cognitive integrity. Autophagy also plays a central role in tissue regeneration, metamorphosis and development whereas defects in autophagy are associated with a wide range of disorders including metabolic diseases such as diabetes, organ pathophysiologies including liver, lung and heart...