Creatine is best known as a muscle supplement, but a new study examined whether it can also support immune cells involved in cancer defense. The researchers focused on dendritic cells, a type of immune cell that helps alert the immune system by presenting antigen fragments from viruses, bacteria, and tumors to T cells, which can then mount responses against infected or abnormal cells. The work combined cell experiments with an animal tumor model. In mouse dendritic cells, the researchers tested whether the ability to take up creatine affected cell survival, immune signaling, and the activatio... cancer creatine
Read moreAge-related decline in muscle strength and function is accompanied by changes in how genes are controlled (epigenetic changes), yet it is unclear whether starting exercise late in life can meaningfully shift this trajectory. In a controlled mouse study, researchers tested whether a demanding training program could make old skeletal muscle look epigenetically younger. The experiment included young and aged mice. Older animals either remained sedentary or completed eight weeks of voluntary progressive weighted-wheel running, a protocol that combines endurance and resistance-like loading. Resear... epigenetics exercise muscle
Read moreThe immune system plays important, and sometimes surprising, roles in brain health. A new study in mice found that blocking components of the antiviral immune response may make the brain more resilient to the effects of abnormal tau – potentially preventing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Tau is a protein found in the brain. Abnormal tau can form aggregates called tau tangles – one of the defining characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease – activating antiviral response pathways and interfering with normal brain function and cognition. Researchers studied the effects of expos... alzheimer's aging immune system virus
Read moreIntense aerobic exercise reduces the risk of metastatic cancer by as much as 73 percent, a recent study has found. It does this by reducing the glucose consumption of the body's internal organs, effectively diverting energy away from the tumor. Researchers quantified the proteins present in the internal organs of mice and the plasma of humans and found that exercise alters multiple aspects of metabolism, including glucose uptake, mitochondrial activity, and carbohydrate utilization. Then they analyzed data from a long-term study of more than 2,700 adults living in Israel. They found that hig... exercise cancer
Read moreThe ability to detect sweetness – whether from sugar or artificial sweeteners – relies on the activity of specialized proteins in the mouth and nasal passages called taste receptors. However, researchers have found that mice that don't have taste receptors can tell the difference between sugar and artificial sweeteners (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12869700/) – and prefer sugar (https://www.nature.com/articles/news.2008.692). Findings from a recent study suggest that the capacity to differentiate between sugar and artificial sweeteners is due to the activity of unique cells call neuropods. ... gut sugar
Read moreThe gut microbiota is composed of the community of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses that live in the human intestine and is unique to each individual. Diet can modulate the structure and function of the gut microbiota in ways that either increase or decrease disease risk. Findings of a new report detail the effects of a very-low-calorie diet on the gut microbiota, weight loss, and infection risk. Following the absorption of most macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) present in food in the small intestine, undigested food travels to t... obesity microbiome fasting antibiotics
Read moreAntibodies defend cells from bacteria and viruses by neutralizing pathogens' biological effects. Antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are important tools in treating or even preventing the disease. Researchers have identified a tiny component of an antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by blocking its capacity to bind to the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. SARS-CoV-2 exploits the ACE2 receptor to gain entry into cells. A specific region of the virus called a spike protein binds to a cell's ACE2 receptor, and the virus injects its genetic mater... covid-19
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