Wang, Z., Zhang, Z., Li, P. et al. Multi-omics analysis reveals the genetic aging landscape of Parkinson’s disease. Sci Rep 14, 31,167 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82470-z.
Summary: A new “molecular lantern” technique allows researchers to monitor molecular changes in the brain non-invasively using a thin light-emitting probe. This innovative tool utilizes Raman spectroscopy to detect chemical changes caused by tumors, injuries, or other pathologies without altering the brain beforehand.
Unlike prior methods requiring genetic modifications, this approach analyzes natural brain tissue with high precision, offering significant potential for diagnosing and studying brain diseases. Future developments aim to integrate artificial intelligence to enhance diagnostic accuracy and explore diverse biomedical applications.
Background and objectives: Aging clocks are computational models designed to measure biological age and aging rate based on age-related markers including epigenetic, proteomic, and immunomic changes, gut and skin microbiota, among others. In this narrative review, we aim to discuss the currently available aging clocks, ranging from epigenetic aging clocks to visual skin aging clocks.
Methods: We performed a literature search on PubMed/MEDLINE databases with keywords including: “aging clock,” “aging,” “biological age,” “chronological age,” “epigenetic,” “proteomic,” “microbiome,” “telomere,” “metabolic,” “inflammation,” “glycomic,” “lifestyle,” “nutrition,” “diet,” “exercise,” “psychosocial,” and “technology.”
Results: Notably, several CpG regions, plasma proteins, inflammatory and immune biomarkers, microbiome shifts, neuroimaging changes, and visual skin aging parameters demonstrated roles in aging and aging clock predictions. Further analysis on the most predictive CpGs and biomarkers is warranted. Limitations of aging clocks include technical noise which may be corrected with additional statistical techniques, and the diversity and applicability of samples utilized.
A new study by Tel Aviv University reveals how bacterial defense mechanisms can be neutralized, enabling the efficient transfer of genetic material between bacteria. The researchers believe this discovery could pave the way for developing tools to address the antibiotic resistance crisis and promote more effective genetic manipulation methods for medical, industrial, and environmental purposes.
The study was led by Ph.D. student Bruria Samuel from the lab of Prof. David Burstein at the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at Tel Aviv University’s Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. Other contributors to the research include Dr. Karin Mittelman, Shirly Croitoru, and Maya Ben-Haim from Prof. Burstein’s lab. The findings were published in the journal Nature.
The researchers explain that genetic diversity is essential for the survival and adaptation of different species in response to environmental changes. For humans and many other organisms, sexual reproduction is the primary driver of the genetic diversity required for survival. However, bacteria and other microorganisms lack such a reproduction mechanism.
Researchers have developed an innovative therapeutic platform by mimicking the intricate structures of viruses using artificial intelligence (AI). Their pioneering research was published in Nature on December 18.
Viruses are uniquely designed to encapsulate genetic material within spherical protein shells, enabling them to replicate and invade host cells, often causing disease. Inspired by these complex structures, researchers have been exploring artificial proteins modeled after viruses.
These “nanocages” mimic viral behavior, effectively delivering therapeutic genes to target cells. However, existing nanocages face significant challenges: their small size restricts the amount of genetic material they can carry, and their simple designs fall short of replicating the multifunctionality of natural viral proteins.
A dietary supplement may offer a novel way to enhance the effectiveness of CAR T cell therapy, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Although this method requires validation through clinical trials, early findings—recently presented during a press briefing at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition—suggest a potentially affordable and accessible strategy to improve CAR T cell functionality and cancer-fighting capabilities.
CAR T cell therapy, first developed at Penn Medicine, is a personalized cancer treatment that reprograms a patient’s immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells.
“Thousands of patients with blood cancers have been successfully treated with CAR T cell therapy, but it still doesn’t work for everyone,” said co-lead author Shan Liu, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow who presented the study at ASH. “We took an outside-the-box approach to improve CAR T cell therapy, by targeting T cells through diet rather than further genetic engineering.”
A rare genetic variant, APOE3 Christchurch, delays Alzheimer’s onset by years in high-risk individuals, offering insights into disease resilience. This discovery could guide new treatments targeting similar protective pathways for Alzheimer’s prevention and therapy.
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Theurgy was a system of magical practices in the late Roman Empire. It was applied Neoplatonism. The theurgists aimed to enable human bodies to assume divine attributes, that is, to become deities. I aim to show that much of the structure of theurgical Neoplatonism appears in transhumanism. Theurgists and transhumanists share a core Platonic-Pythagorean metaphysics. They share goals and methods. The theurgists practiced astrology, the reading of entrails, the consultation of oracles, channeling deities, magic, and the animation of statues. The transhumanist counterparts of those practices are genetics, self-tracking with biosensors, artificial intellects like Google and Siri, brain-computer interfaces, programming, and robotics. Transhumanist techno-theurgy shows how Neoplatonism can be a modern philosophical way of life.
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The University of Cape Town, along with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, have conducted a large-scale study identifying significant cranial shape differences between four genetically distinct giraffe species. The findings suggest that these species exhibit unique developmental and morphological characteristics, which have implications for conservation efforts.
Taxonomic classification is critical for guiding good conservation strategies. Giraffes have long been categorized as one species with geographic variants, though advancements in research are reshaping this perspective.
In the study, “Heads Up—Four Giraffa Species Have Distinct Cranial Morphology,” published in PLOS ONE, researchers examined 515 giraffe skulls with 3D geometric morphometrics to analyze patterns of cranial variability. The dataset, the largest of its kind, included specimens from museum collections, wild populations, and taxidermy sources across Africa.
