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Scientists have discovered why some people with a high genetic risk of Alzheimer’s remain mentally sharp into their 80s, uncovering a rare mutation that protects the brain from harmful protein buildup. The findings reveal a potential new way to prevent early brain damage and could pave the way for treatments that mimic this natural defense.

Scientists have uncovered a possible explanation for why some people struggle to taste food more than a year after recovering from COVID-19. By examining taste buds from patients with lingering symptoms, researchers discovered molecular abnormalities that weaken the signals responsible for detecting sweet, bitter, and savory flavors.

Walking just 3,000 steps a day could help slow Alzheimer’s-related brain changes, according to new research. Scientists discovered that physical activity was linked to less buildup of harmful tau proteins and nearly half the cognitive and functional decline, even in people already showing early signs of the disease. The strongest benefits appeared at 5,000 to 7,500 daily steps, suggesting that the popular 10,000-step goal may not be necessary.

Experts worry the proposed research could produce biased results

A discovery in tiny algae led to a Nobel Prize-winning breakthrough that allows scientists to switch brain cells on and off using light. The revolutionary technique has already helped researchers activate memories and is opening new possibilities for restoring vision and treating brain disorders.

Age-related sensory decline impairs responses to balance disturbances, increasing fall risk. Evaluating gait and balance under sensory challenges can help reveal how this decline affects instability in older adults. This study (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT06345625) incorporates head movements to evaluate the effect of sensory function - cervical sensorimotor control, vestibular function, and visual acuity - on walking stability in aging and its relationship with falls through a novel augmented-reality...

Aging is a critical risk factor for intervertebral disc degeneration, a major contributor to chronic low back pain. Loss-of-function studies showed that SIRT6, a nuclear NAD^(+)-dependent deacetylase, maintains disc health. We therefore investigated whether long-term SIRT6 activation via systemic delivery of the small-molecular agonist MDL-800 improves disc health in 24-month-old mice. Studies revealed healthy disc morphology, enhanced cell viability, and lower degeneration scores following...

Disruption describes the extent to which a scientific work overturns the prior knowledge on which it builds and leads to a new line of research. A scientist's tendency to produce disruptive work has been found recently to decline over the career. However, the disruption index captures only how strongly a paper overturns prior work and ignores whether that disruption is later accepted or overturned by subsequent research. The persistent disruption (PD) framework adds this second perspective,...

Maternal age is the primary risk factor for aneuploidy in mammalian oocytes, but the molecular mechanisms that preserve meiotic chromosome segregation fidelity during aging remain incompletely understood. Using ultrastructural analysis, we observe that spindle microtubules in aged mouse oocytes tend to exhibit increased misorientation and shorter interaction lengths, whereas microtubule number and density remain largely unchanged. We demonstrate that the levels of the key centromeric components...

Scientists have uncovered an unexpected culprit behind sleep loss in Alzheimer’s disease: overactive immune cells in the brain. By temporarily removing these cells, researchers restored more than two hours of sleep per day in mice, revealing a promising new target for treatment.