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Category: life extension

‘Young’ immune cells reverse signs of neurodegenerative brain changes in preclinical study

“Young” immune cells created by Cedars-Sinai investigators reversed signs of aging and Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of laboratory mice, according to a study published in the journal Advanced Science.

The immune cells, which were produced from human stem cells, could be used to develop new treatments for neurological conditions in humans.

“Previous studies have shown that transfusions of blood or plasma from young mice improved cognitive decline in older mice, but that is difficult to translate into a therapy,” said Clive Svendsen, Ph.D., executive director of the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and senior author of the study.

Fat molecules and water interact in surprising ways within collagen fibrils

Researchers from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Chemnitz University of Technology have discovered fat molecules in natural collagen fibrils, the main component of connective tissue. Their research, published in Soft Matter, shows how fats affect the mechanical properties and water content of collagen fibrils.

Collagen fibrils are the basic building blocks of skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones. They hold our bodies together. Fats and oils have long been used to soften and protect leather, which consists of collagen molecules. However, it is not known how many fat molecules are contained in natural collagen fibrils.

Knowing the precise chemical composition of collagen fibrils is important for understanding biochemical processes involved in tissue growth, aging, and disease. In chemistry, the various molecular components are usually separated to study the properties of pure substances. However, contain thousands of different chemical molecules, all of which are likely important.

Scientists may have found a way to strengthen bones for life

Scientists at Leipzig University have identified a little-known receptor, GPR133, as a key player in bone health. By stimulating this receptor with a new compound called AP503, they were able to boost bone strength in mice, even reversing osteoporosis-like conditions. The breakthrough highlights a promising path toward safer and more effective treatments for millions struggling with bone loss, while also hinting at broader benefits for aging populations.

Researchers discover new microprotein that controls metabolic health in mouse fat cells

Like bees breathing life into gardens, providing pollen and making flowers blossom, little cellular machines called mitochondria breathe life into our bodies, buzzing with energy as they produce the fuel that powers each of our cells. Maintaining mitochondrial metabolism requires input from many molecules and proteins—some of which have yet to be discovered.

Salk Institute researchers are taking a closer look at whether mitochondria rely on microproteins—small proteins that have been difficult to find and, consequently, underestimated for their role in health and disease. In their new study, a microprotein discovered just last year at Salk, called SLC35A4-MP, was found to play a critical role in upholding mitochondrial structure and regulating metabolic stress in mouse fat cells. The findings plant the seed for future microprotein-based treatments for obesity, aging, and other mitochondrial disorders.

The study, published in Science Advances on August 29, 2025, is part of a series of recent discoveries at Salk that showcase the functional importance of microproteins in cellular biology, metabolism, and stress.

Space travel may accelerate the aging of stem cells as much as tenfold, study says

In fact, they age “ten times faster in space than on the ground,” said Dr. Catriona Jamieson, the director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at the University of California, San Diego, a lead author of the study.

Stem cells are special cells that can develop into various kinds of tissue. Stem cell aging is potentially worrisome because it diminishes the body’s natural ability to repair its tissues and organs, potentially leading to chronic, age-related conditions like cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and heart problems.

Heterochronic myeloid cell replacement reveals the local brain environment as key driver of microglia aging

Aging, the key risk factor for cognitive decline, impacts the brain in a region-specific manner, with microglia among the most affected cell types. However, it remains unclear whether this is intrinsically mediated or driven by age-related changes in neighboring cells. Here, we describe a scalable, genetically modifiable system for in vivo heterochronic myeloid cell replacement. We find reconstituted myeloid cells adopt region-specific transcriptional, morphological and tiling profiles characteristic of resident microglia. Young donor cells in aged brains rapidly acquired aging phenotypes, particularly in the cerebellum, while old cells in young brains adopted youthful profiles. We identified STAT1-mediated signaling as one axis controlling microglia aging, as STAT1-loss prevented aging trajectories in reconstituted cells. Spatial transcriptomics combined with cell ablation models identified rare natural killer cells as necessary drivers of interferon signaling in aged microglia. These findings establish the local environment, rather than cell-autonomous programming, as a primary driver of microglia aging phenotypes.

Claire Gizowski, Galina Popova, Heather Shin, Wendy Craft, Wenjun Kong, Bernd J Wranik, Yuheng C Fu, Tzuhua D Lin, Baby Martin-McNulty, Po-Han Tai, Kayla Leung, Nicole Fong, Devyani Jogran, Agnieszka Wendorff, David Hendrickson, Astrid Gillich, Andy Chang, Oliver Hahn are current or former employees of Calico Life Sciences LLC. The remaining authors declare no competing interest.

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