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Body weight following a multidomain lifestyle intervention in older adults at risk of dementia - A post-hoc analysis of the AgeWell.de-trial
CONCLUSIONS: In this post-hoc analysis, group allocation was not associated with lower body weight at follow-up. Despite high levels of motivation and confidence regarding weight loss and favorable changes in diet and physical activity in the intervention group, these changes did not translate into measurable weight loss.
High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Stress Durably Reprograms the Liver Regenerative Compartment Toward a Senescence-Like State
Chronic metabolic stress is increasingly recognized as a driver of aging-like tissue dysfunction, but whether it durably reprograms liver regenerative cells, potentially compromising tissue maintenance and repair, remains unknown. Here, we show that high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic stress promotes a persistent senescence-like state in the liver regenerative compartment. In male rats, chronic HFD feeding induced hepatic steatosis together with oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and...
MTR4: A Conserved Youth Factor for Vascular Endothelium
Vascular endothelial cell (VEC) senescence drives organismal aging and age-related pathologies, yet the intrinsic factors preserving endothelial youthfulness remain poorly defined. Here, we identify MTR4, an evolutionarily conserved RNA helicase and nuclear RNA exosome cofactor, as a novel regulator of VEC senescence. MTR4 protein declines markedly in senescent HUVECs and aged mouse aortas, independent of general cell cycle exit. Mechanistically, senescence-induced upregulation of the E3...
Mysterious brain activity under anesthesia challenges what we know about consciousness
Even under general anesthesia, the human brain can analyze language, recognize different types of words, and predict what comes next in a story, according to a surprising discovery by Baylor researchers. The findings challenge our understanding of consciousness and suggest that the unconscious brain is far more capable than scientists previously realized.
Eating late at night linked to up to 30% higher risk of liver disease
Eating late at night could be putting your liver at risk, according to a large study led by Oregon Health & Science University. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 200,000 people and found that those who regularly ate after dinner or around bedtime had a 20% to 30% higher risk of liver disease, including fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
Scientists discover a surprising danger in smaller cancer cells
Scientists have discovered that unusually small cancer cells carrying extra chromosomes can be far more aggressive than larger ones, growing faster, spreading more readily, and resisting common treatments. The surprising finding could help explain why some tumors are especially dangerous and provide a new way to predict cancer outcomes.
Rare study reveals a striking divide inside an Alzheimer’s patient’s brain
A rare examination of an Alzheimer’s patient’s brain revealed that regions cleared of amyloid plaques had remarkably little of the harmful tau buildup associated with memory loss, while neighboring areas showed extensive damage. The discovery suggests that removing amyloid may have lasting protective effects and could help slow Alzheimer’s progression, especially when treatment begins early.
Interrogating DNA methylation associated with Lewy body pathology in a cross brain-region and multi-cohort study
Here, we conduct a large meta-analysis of DNA methylation across multiple cortical brain regions, in relation to increasing burden of Lewy body pathology. Utilizing a dataset of 1205 samples (832 unique donors), we identify 24 false discovery rate significant differentially methylated loci associated with Lewy body pathology, with loci located in UBASH3B and PTAFR, and an intergenic locus passing the genome-wide significance threshold. Ontological enrichment analysis highlights several...
An aging-sensitive secreted phospholipase confers neuroprotection and cognitive resilience
Cognitive reserve theory posits that compensatory mechanisms during aging stave off cognitive decline and lower risk for Alzheimer's disease. Here, in a screen for hippocampal dentate granule cell (DGC) synapse loss-induced factors in mice, we identified a secreted phospholipase, Pla2g2f, whose expression increases in DGCs during aging and is associated with cognitive resilience in humans. Pla2g2f deletion in DGCs exacerbates aging-associated pathophysiological changes, including synapse loss,...
Polygenic scores for longevity in relation to brain MRI measures in a cohort of 70-year-olds
Population-based studies on the relation between polygenic longevity scores (PGLSs) and specific brain regions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are few. We aimed to investigate this relationship in a population of 70-year-olds from Gothenburg, Sweden (N = 675). We constructed two PGLSs (one with and one without the APOE locus) using longevity GWAS summary statistics. MRI outcomes included total grey matter, white matter (WM), WM hyperintensities (WMHs), subcortical volumes, small vessel...
An aging-sensitive secreted phospholipase confers neuroprotection and cognitive resilience
Cognitive reserve theory posits that compensatory mechanisms during aging stave off cognitive decline and lower risk for Alzheimer's disease. Here, in a screen for hippocampal dentate granule cell (DGC) synapse loss-induced factors in mice, we identified a secreted phospholipase, Pla2g2f, whose expression increases in DGCs during aging and is associated with cognitive resilience in humans. Pla2g2f deletion in DGCs exacerbates aging-associated pathophysiological changes, including synapse loss,...
Oxidative stress resistance of the extended longevity phenotype of Drosophila under paraquat exposure is heritable: influence of maternal genotype on the offspring
Oxidative stress resistance is an important trait that contributes to the long lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster, but its epigenetic inheritance via transgenerational transmission has been poorly studied. In this study, using reciprocal crosses between normal-lifespan (NLS) and long-lifespan (LLS) lines, we investigated the transgenerational inheritance of paraquat-induced oxidative stress resistance across the parental, F(1), and F(2) generations, assessing survival, locomotor performance,...
Quantitative assessment of liver regenerative potential during accelerated aging: regenerative reserve and regenerative status indices
Age-related changes in hepatocyte ploidy, binucleation, proliferative activity, and senescence-associated cell-cycle arrest may jointly influence liver regenerative capacity, but these features are usually evaluated separately. We developed two composite indices and examined their behavior in a long-term rat model of chronic circadian disruption. Male Wistar rats were assigned to control lighting, constant illumination (dark deprivation; DD), or constant illumination with melatonin (DD +...
Metabolic homeostasis and women's reproductive health
Metabolic homeostasis and female reproductive health are governed by tightly coupled regulatory systems, yet their reciprocal interactions have often been investigated in isolation. In this Review, we synthesize current epidemiological, mechanistic and clinical evidence to propose an integrated framework in which dynamic, bidirectional crosstalk between key metabolic organs and endocrine mediators constitutes a central determinant of female reproductive function across the life course. We...
Oxidative stress-associated intestinal stem cell dysfunction during aging is attenuated by chlorogenic acid in a CncC-dependent manner
Aging-associated intestinal dysfunction is characterized by impaired epithelial homeostasis, excessive intestinal stem cell (ISC) proliferation, and progressive barrier deterioration. Although oxidative stress is widely recognized as a major driver of intestinal aging, the mechanisms linking redox imbalance to ISC dysregulation remain incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary chlorogenic acid (CGA) treatment using Drosophila models of physiological aging,...
Genome-wide CRISPR screen reveals that Wnt signaling regulates lipid accumulation in APOE4 oligodendrocytes
APOE4 is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease, yet the cellular mechanisms linking APOE variants to disease risk remain unclear. We previously found that APOE4 expression causes lipid droplet accumulation in oligodendrocytes, reducing myelination, but the underlying mechanisms were unknown. Using a genome-wide CRISPR screen and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (ATAC) sequencing in human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived oligodendrocytes, we...
Parvalbumin cell state dynamics regulate gamma oscillations and are disrupted in Alzheimer's disease
Gamma oscillations are fundamental for cognitive processing, but the cellular and circuit dynamics that generate them remain poorly defined. Establishing a method for simultaneous calcium imaging and electrocorticography recordings in awake mice, we found that spontaneous gamma oscillations are accompanied by dynamic transitions between parvalbumin (PV) interneuron states. Rather than acting as a uniformly synchronized population, PV interneurons showed sequential recruitment, transient...
Validation of Self-Reported Gait Speed and Grip Strength Measures With Objective Measures in Older Adults With Mild Frailty in England
CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported gait speed and grip strength measures demonstrated limited validity compared with objective assessments in older adults with mild frailty and should be used cautiously as substitutes for measuring weakness and slowness in this population. Trial Registration: ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN54268283.
METTL14-Mediated m<sup>6</sup>A Methylation Preserves Cardiomyocyte Homeostasis and Attenuates Progeria-Associated Cardiac Remodeling
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare premature aging disorder most commonly caused by a de novo synonymous mutation (c.1824C>T) in the LMNA gene. This mutation activates aberrant splicing of prelamin A, leading to the production and accumulation of progerin, which drives accelerated aging, with patients predominantly succumbing to cardiovascular disease. However, while cardiac pathologies are well documented, the cell-autonomous contribution of cardiomyocytes to HGPS-associated...
Mitochondrial Genetic Background Shapes Baseline Retinal Function, Age-Related Bioenergetic Remodeling, and Microglial STING Phenotypes
Mitochondria are central regulators of retinal bioenergetics and innate immune signaling, yet how mitochondrial genetic background and aging jointly influence immunometabolic responses in the retina remains poorly defined. Here, we investigated the effects of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation on retinal function and the combined effects of mtDNA variation and age on bioenergetic composition, mtDNA damage, and the microglial expression and intracellular localization of stimulator of interferon...