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Two widely used zero-calorie sweeteners, sucralose and stevia, may have effects that linger far longer than the sweet taste itself. In mice, researchers found that both sweeteners altered the gut microbiome, reduced beneficial compounds produced by gut bacteria, and changed the activity of genes involved in metabolism and inflammation. Some of those changes were also detected in later generations that had never consumed the sweeteners themselves.

Scientists have created an injectable gel that can remain inside arthritic joints for weeks, slowly releasing medication while also improving lubrication. The approach could make it easier to deliver disease-modifying drugs directly where they are needed while limiting exposure elsewhere in the body.

A simple waist measurement may be nearly as effective as more complicated methods for detecting unhealthy levels of body fat. Researchers also found that BMI alone missed many people with obesity, suggesting waist size could provide an important warning sign.

A long-standing picture of brain evolution as newer, rational layers stacked on top of an ancient “lizard brain” may be deeply misleading. Researchers found that evolution instead appears to balance two competing styles of brain wiring, expanding one while shrinking the other depending on what an animal needs to survive.

Alcohol-related liver disease may trap damaged liver cells in a regenerative limbo, preventing the organ from rebuilding itself even after drinking stops. Researchers linked the problem to inflammation-driven RNA errors and identified a pathway that could potentially be targeted to restore liver repair.

Omega-3 and low-dose aspirin matched the effectiveness of antibiotics in a year-long study of patients with severe gum disease, with both approaches helping about 58% reach the treatment goal. The unexpected result could point to a new way to treat some patients while reducing reliance on antibiotics and the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

Adults aged 40 and older performed about 12% faster on a test of executive function after using a HEPA air purifier at home for one month. The findings suggest that cleaner indoor air could offer a simple way to help protect the brain from the effects of traffic-related pollution.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau accumulation. Dysregulation of the brain renin-angiotensin system, particularly hyperactivation of the angiotensin II type-1 receptor, contributes to AD pathogenesis. In contrast, activation of the angiotensin II type-2 receptor (AT(2)R) has been linked to neuroprotection and reduced Aβ accumulation. However, the underlying mechanisms of AT(2)R-related Aβ reduction and the role of...

SIRT1, a sirtuin family member, has been extensively documented to be closely linked to aging and aging-related disease. Cellular senescence is a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest that functions as a key driver of aging. During cellular senescence, LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposable elements become transcriptionally activated and stimulate a type-I interferon (IFN-I) response. L1 activity has been strongly linked to aging and a variety of age-related disorders. However, whether SIRT1 influences...

Researchers have produced a form of Spirulina containing biologically active vitamin B12 at levels comparable to beef. By carefully controlling the light used to grow the algae, they overcame a major problem with conventional Spirulina, which mainly contains a form of B12 the human body cannot use. The carbon-neutral system could provide a more sustainable source of the essential vitamin.

CAR T-cell therapy dramatically reduced disease activity in six people with severe rheumatoid arthritis that had resisted other treatments, with three achieving medication-free remission. The treatment may work by clearing out harmful immune cells and effectively rebooting part of the immune system, although much larger studies are still needed.

A ketogenic diet outperformed Mediterranean and low-fat diets in several measures of metabolic health during a clinical trial involving people with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. All three groups lost about 10% of their body weight, but keto reduced liver fat by 67%, compared with 45% for the other diets. About half of the keto group also no longer qualified as having prediabetes after four to five months.

Dogs and humans may have more in common when it comes to aging than scientists realized. Researchers with the Dog Aging Project found that patterns of small molecules in dogs’ blood were linked to longer or shorter lifespans in remarkably similar ways to those seen in people. These metabolic “fingerprints” could offer clues about the biological processes that drive aging, including metabolism, inflammation, and cellular stress.