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A common vitamin could help fight one of the deadliest brain cancers
A clinical trial is exploring whether high doses of vitamin B3 could give patients with glioblastoma a better chance against the aggressive brain cancer. Scientists found that niacin may help revive immune cells that tumors shut down, allowing them to attack cancer more effectively. Early results have been promising, with patients showing significantly better progression-free survival than expected.
Exclusive: NSF slashes research programs to support new tech initiative, insiders say
Unexpected shift in funds has meant sharp drop in grants this fiscal year
Butterfly that barely ages could help unlock longevity secrets
Scientists discovered that Heliconius butterflies have evolved an extraordinary lifespan, living several times longer than closely related species. Even more surprising, some show little sign of physical decline as they age. Their unusual pollen-feeding lifestyle may play a role, but the research suggests deeper evolutionary changes are also helping them stay healthy for longer.
Divergent toxicity mechanisms of amyloid-beta aggregates arising from a single aggregation reaction
Amyloid-β 1-42 (Aβ42) aggregation is among the earliest pathological signs in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we characterized Aβ42 species at several aggregation stages at the single-molecule level and examined their toxicity in murine organotypic brain slices, where we observed a stage-dependent recapitulation of multiple aspects of the cellular phase of AD. Aggregates formed during the lag phase of the Aβ42 aggregation elevated neuronal baseline Ca^(2+) levels and impaired long-term...
Exploration of precision coregulator TR-FRET identifies diverse signatures for LXR ligands relevant to discovery of nonlipogenic ABCA1 inducers
APOE4, the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and ATP-binding cassette-A1 (ABCA1), required for lipidation of APOE are gene products of the liver X receptor (LXR) receptor. LXR agonists have been validated in animal models as therapeutics for AD, atherosclerosis, and many other diseases. Clinical progress has been thwarted by unwanted hepatic lipogenesis. Structurally diverse LXR ligands were profiled in coregulator TR-FRET (CRT) assays analyzing ligand-induced coactivator...
N-terminal modifications as fate switches in neurodegeneration: a mechanistic review
The accumulation of aberrant proteins or their impaired clearance leads to neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). The protein amino terminus (Nt) and its modifications determine the fate of proteins and their cellular effects. Nt acetylation, Nt methylation, and Nt myristoylation are protein Nt modifications implicated in the pathogenesis of proteinopathies like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases by regulating the protein lifespan, folding, and interaction with protein/DNA. In...
Oxidative stress-preconditioned exosomes target BMF to restore mitophagy for alleviating intervertebral disc degeneration
Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) represent a promising cell-free strategy for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Here, we obtained oxidative stress-preconditioned exosomes (O-Exos) from BMSCs exposed to low-concentration hydrogen peroxide. Compared with exosomes from untreated cells (N-Exos), O-Exos more effectively delayed nucleus pulposus (NP) cell senescence and attenuated IDD in vitro and in vivo. The superior effects of O-Exos were associated with...
Age-related metabolomic signatures and stroke susceptibility in a population-based cohort
Aging-related metabolic dysregulation and vascular vulnerability contribute substantially to stroke susceptibility, yet subtype-specific metabolic signatures remain incompletely characterized. Employing a nested case-control design within the Taizhou Longitudinal Study, we quantified 296 lipoprotein parameters and 54 metabolites in 1208 stroke-control pairs using nuclear magnetic resonance. Logistic regression estimated subtype-specific associations, and machine learning constructed prediction...
Resting heart rate and cognitive function in ageing: Insights from a secondary data analysis
Resting heart rate (RHR) is an accessible measure that may reflect age-related cardiovascular and autonomic dysregulation relevant to cognitive ageing. However, evidence linking RHR with cognitive outcomes is inconsistent, and most studies relied on single baseline measurements that may not capture cumulative exposure. This study examined the associations of baseline and longitudinally averaged RHR with cognitive decline and dementia in older adults. This was a secondary analysis of the ASPirin...