[toc position='left'] Consider a drug capable of reversing the effects of aging on the heart, restoring its youthful function. That's what researchers observed when they gave dogs rapamycin—a drug traditionally used to treat certain cancers and prevent organ transplant rejection. The findings were striking: The dogs exhibited marked improvements in heart function, effectively reversing the age-related changes typically seen in aging. While these findings are remarkable, they add to a growing body of research indicating that rapamycin might enhance healthspan and promote longevity in various sp... aging autophagy metabolism immune system cancer drug
Read moreRegulatory T-cells, or Tregs, are white blood cells that modulate the body's immune response. A growing body of evidence points to the role of immune activation in mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression. A new study in mice shows that Foxp3, a transcription factor, influences Treg expression and activity, ultimately influencing mood. Researchers depleted the Foxp3-expressing cells in mice and assessed the animals' behavior. They found that Foxp3 depletion caused temporary anxiety and depression-like behaviors due to the activation of inflammasomes, multi-protein complexes that drive th... depression immune system anxiety
Read moreBlocking the action of TNF-alpha may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system. It is caused by the destruction of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra. Approximately 1 percent of all adults over the age of 60 years (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28150045/) lives with Parkinson's disease. Findings from a 2006 study suggest that blocking the action of tumor necrosis factor-alpha slows the progression of Parkinson's disease. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a... brain parkinson's neurons tnf-alpha
Read moreExploiting the “gravitostat,” a novel homeostatic mechanism that regulates body weight, promotes weight loss. Having overweight or obesity increases a person’s risk of developing many chronic diseases. But losing weight loss is challenging, partly due to homeostatic mechanisms that regulate body weight (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938413002448). Findings from a 2020 study suggest that exploiting a novel homeostatic weight-regulating mechanism called the gravitostat promotes weight loss in humans. The concept of the gravitostat first emerged in 2017, when scienti... exercise obesity metabolic syndrome
Read moreAn obesogenic diet drives immune cell activation. Although the role of dietary fat intake in obesity is a matter of considerable controversy, research has identified complex interrelationships between dietary components, inflammation, and immune function. For example, some evidence suggests that consumption of a diet high in fat drives inflammatory processes in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12974-016-0666-8), including the liver, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and gut, promoting metabolic dysfunction and weight gain. Findings fr... obesity inflammation immune system metabolic syndrome visceral fat
Read more[toc position='left'] The blood-brain barrier comprises various membranes that separate the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral circulatory system. The purpose of this barrier is to allow the passage of nutrients and cell signals from the bloodstream to nerves and supporting cells in the CNS while excluding harmful substances. Genetic predispositions, environmental exposures, and aging may weaken the integrity of this barrier, allowing endotoxins and inflammatory immune cells to infiltrate the brain, contributing to accelerated brain aging and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases... omega-3 immune system blood-brain barrier brain alzheimer's gut obesity
Read moreAge-related changes in the brain drive cognitive impairment, which in turn alters memory formation and promotes mitochondrial dysfunction. A recent study demonstrates that spermidine improves cognitive function in humans. Spermidine is a dietary compound found in a number of foods, including wheat germ, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, amaranth, a variety of cheeses (especially aged cheeses), and soybean products, such as natto. First identified in semen, spermidine demonstrates anti-aging properties in animal studies, likely due to its capacity to induce autophagy – the process by which the... brain autophagy
Read more[toc position='left'] Introduction Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver and fatty tissues of the body. Perhaps best known for its role in maintaining calcium balance and bone health, vitamin D is critical in many physiological processes, such as blood pressure regulation, immune function, and cell growth. Poor vitamin D status is implicated in the pathogenesis of many acute and chronic diseases, including rickets, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. Vitamin D is a controversial topic in the scientific community and has contributed to much debate regarding t... gut blood pressure vitamin d aging vitamin k calcium
Read moreVisceral fat – body fat that is stored in the abdominal cavity in close proximity to important internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines – plays a central role in the interrelationship between obesity and systemic inflammation. Excess visceral fat, often referred to as central or abdominal obesity, is a strong predictor of age-related cognitive decline. A new study in mice demonstrates that having excess visceral fat may impair cognition by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome and promoting the release of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). Inflammasomes are large, intracellular comple... brain obesity depression neurons protein metabolic syndrome nlrp3 visceral fat
Read more[toc position='left'] Caloric restriction is the practice of long-term reduced dietary intake, typically characterized by a 20 to 50 percent decrease in caloric intake below habitual levels, without malnutrition or deprivation of essential nutrients. It involves a consistent pattern of reducing average daily caloric intake and differs from fasting and other restrictive eating patterns in that the latter regimens primarily focus on the frequency and timing of eating rather than a pattern of permanent, long-term restriction. Caloric restriction in animals Caloric restriction delays the onset of ... diet aging
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