Losing muscle strength is a natural part of aging. At the core of this decline is a drop in the number of muscle stem cells (MuSCs), the specialized cells responsible for maintaining and regenerating muscle tissue throughout our lives. Loss of muscle strength can severely affect mobility, increasing the risk of falls, fractures and, most importantly, the loss of independence.

Published in Nature Aging, a recent study took a crucial first step toward restoring stem cell function in aging muscles—gaining a clearer understanding of how metabolism changes when stem cells are activated and how these critical processes weaken with age.

The researchers’ investigation led them to glutamine metabolism, the process by which cells use the amino acid glutamine to support essential functions. They found that for MuSCs, glutamine is more than just a nutrient. It provides the raw material needed to produce fatty acids that help cells grow, divide, and repair damaged muscles.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among aging people globally. Around one in seven Australians over the age of 50 have some signs of AMD.

The disease results in blurred and distorted vision, and often loss of function at the center of the eye’s visual field.

The best current treatment involves a series of injections to slow the progression of the disease, but this process can be expensive and difficult with potentially negative long-term effects.

This Perspective highlights the failures of an ageing cell in properly maintaining mRNA health at the various steps of the mRNA life cycle that result in vulnerability to disease, pointing to RNA imbalance as an emerging hallmark of cellular ageing.

A new study suggests microscopic particles from the gut may actively drive inflammation and chronic diseases associated with aging. Remarkably, gut particles from young animals appeared to counter some aging-related damage in older animals, hinting at new possibilities for future treatments.