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Scientists at Scripps Research have uncovered a molecular “switch” that appears to fuel the damaging brain inflammation seen in Alzheimer’s disease. They found that a protein called STING becomes chemically altered in a way that keeps the brain’s immune system stuck in overdrive, harming the connections between nerve cells.

Melanoma may not become steadily more dangerous with age as scientists once assumed. In a surprising discovery, researchers found that cancer spread was lowest in young mice, surged in middle-aged mice, and then dropped again in very old mice. The key appears to be a special type of immune cell that helps keep cancer dormant and prevents it from spreading.

Losing weight may involve rewiring the gut and the brain at the same time. In a study of obese adults, an intermittent fasting-style diet led to significant weight loss, healthier metabolic markers, and notable shifts in gut bacteria. Brain scans also revealed changes in regions tied to appetite, cravings, and self-control. The results suggest the gut microbiome and brain may work together to influence weight-loss success.

A new study suggests fish oil may help reduce insulin resistance even in people who aren't obese. In diabetic rats, omega-3 supplementation improved blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and inflammation by shifting immune cells into a more anti-inflammatory mode.

Long Interspersed Element-1 (L1) causes DNA damage and inflammation, which are hallmarks of cellular senescence. To understand the role of endogenous L1 in senescence, accurate detection and measurement of L1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression changes during this process is crucial, as L1 transcription is the prerequisite step of L1-related downstream effects. We developed an automated bioinformatics pipeline to quantify locus-level L1 mRNA expression in ex vivo and in vitro models of normal and...

This study tests the moderating role of essentialist beliefs about aging (i.e., perceptions of aging as a fixed versus malleable process) in the relationship between physical functioning and subjective well-being distinguishing between a) overall quality of life and b) health satisfaction among older adults in clinical care. We propose that essentialist beliefs serve as adaptive, palliative cognitions that help maintain high subjective well-being despite health challenges. In a sample of...

Early-life experiences can exert lasting impacts on brain function. While previous research has largely focused on early-life adversity, the long-term consequences of early-life enrichment on the aging brain remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the behavioral and molecular effects of communal nesting (CN, a model of early social enrichment, during postnatal day 2-9) in aged male mice. Behaviorally, CN-exposed mice preserved hippocampus-dependent recognition memory but...

Brain arteriolosclerosis, a primary pathology of cerebral small vessel disease, is common in older adults and is associated with lower cognitive and motor function and higher odds of dementia. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that arteriolosclerosis is associated with lower diffusion anisotropy and higher trace of the diffusion tensor in white matter, independently of other age-related neuropathologies and visible white matter hyperintensities (WMH). In-vivo diffusion MRI and...

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that resistance training adaptations exhibit high task specificity in older adults, and significant improvements in functional outcomes can be achieved with elastic bands.

Aging is associated with a persistent, sterile inflammatory state called inflammaging, which contributes to endothelial dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and a gradual shift toward a procoagulant phenotype, known as coagul-aging. Inflammation and coagulation are now understood as interconnected processes, linked by innate immune activation and thrombin production. Recent evidence highlights the vital role of endogenous nucleic acids, especially cytosolic and extracellular DNA, RNA, and RNA:DNA...

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) represents the most abundant internal RNA modification, and a key regulator of gene expression, yet its role in determining cell fate decisions such as senescence remains largely unexplored. Here, we identify the nuclear m6A reader YTHDC1 as a critical regulator of telomere homeostasis and senescence evasion in ovarian cancer. YTHDC1 expression was markedly elevated in advanced-stage tumors and correlated with poor patient survival. Functional investigation demonstrated...

Primary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs) affect approximately 1 in 4300 individuals and cause early-onset neuromuscular and multisystem dysfunction with reduced lifespan. They result from pathogenic variants in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA that impair oxidative phosphorylation. Cytochrome c oxidase (COX; complex IV) deficiency is a well-established cause of PMD, leading to a broad spectrum of phenotypes. COXFA4 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit FA4), formerly NDUFA4, is a nuclear-encoded COX subunit,...

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CONCLUSION: Psychosocial factors, particularly autonomy and control, significantly associated with sexual satisfaction in older adults with multimorbidity. These findings highlight the necessity of integrating mental health and subjective well-being into geriatric clinical care to support a holistic and humanized approach to healthy aging.

Ambient temperature is a primordial determinant of longevity across the animal kingdom, yet the molecular transducers that couple thermal cues to aging rates remain elusive. Here, we interrogate the transcriptomic and metabolomic landscapes of Drosophila melanogaster to decode the mechanisms of temperature-dependent lifespan extension. We find that thermal stress drives a profound remodeling of the transcriptome that surprisingly outpaces metabolic adaptation. Through this multi-omics...

A new study suggests melatonin supplements may help night shift workers boost their body's DNA repair processes, potentially offsetting some of the damage linked to working overnight. The findings are early but raise the possibility of a simple strategy to help reduce long-term health risks associated with night shift work.

A specially formulated tomato-soy juice packed with natural plant compounds may help calm inflammation linked to obesity, according to a new clinical study. Healthy adults with obesity who drank the juice daily for four weeks saw significant reductions in several key inflammatory proteins in their blood, while a control tomato juice did not produce the same effect.

Scientists discovered that sleep deprivation damages a key brain circuit responsible for social memory, making it harder to recognize familiar individuals. In laboratory studies, caffeine restored communication between neurons in this pathway and reversed the memory deficits caused by lost sleep. The effect was remarkably targeted, helping the impaired circuit recover without overstimulating normal brain function.

Scientists at Stanford may have uncovered a hidden reason our brains decline with age. Studying the ultra-short-lived turquoise killifish, researchers discovered that the cellular machinery responsible for building proteins begins to jam and malfunction over time. Tiny structures called ribosomes start colliding and stalling while reading genetic instructions, triggering a chain reaction that leads to faulty proteins and harmful clumps linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Using cannabis edibles and alcohol together may make drivers far more impaired than either substance alone, according to new research from Johns Hopkins. Even more concerning, common field sobriety tests often failed to detect the cannabis-related impairment.