Thymic injury leads to reduced T cell production and makes patients more vulnerable to infections and cancers. Lemarquis et al. identify a population of recirculating regulatory T (Treg) cells that mediate regeneration in the injured thymus, partially through amphiregulin. An analogous population of Treg cells expressing CD39 and ICOS is found in humans, suggesting therapeutic avenues for boosting thymic regeneration to address aging-and treatment-induced immunosuppression.
Cancer is infamously cunning, expansive and relentless. It has a talent for evading treatment, spreading throughout the body and coming back again and again. Despite a steady decline in U.S. cancer mortality rates thanks to better screening and treatments, the absolute number of deaths from cancer continues to tick up, in part because of an aging population.
In response, scientists and clinicians are taking a page from cancer’s playbook, learning to be just as cunning, expansive and relentless in their efforts to beat back the disease. Cancer is meeting its match.
“The field of oncology has been completely transformed from where it was 15 years ago — many aspects of cancer treatment resemble science fiction now,” said Steven Artandi, MD, PhD, the Laurie Kraus Lacob Director of the Stanford Cancer Institute.
OpenAI, in partnership with Retro Biosciences, has recently made significant strides in human longevity research with the development of GPT-4b Micro. This advanced artificial intelligence (AI) model could potentially revolutionize cellular reprogramming and open new avenues in the field of biology. Although this innovation is exciting, it still requires thorough scientific validation to establish its true potential.
For decades, scientists have been endeavoring to unlock the secrets of cellular processes. In 2020, Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold marked a significant breakthrough by predicting protein structures with astonishing accuracy. Now, OpenAI has entered the fray with GPT-4b Micro, a model expressly designed to analyze biological data and hasten scientific discoveries.
According to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, “Hyper-intelligent AI tools could revolutionize science and lead to advancements we could hardly have imagined.” With Retro Biosciences, which specializes in longevity research, the goal is lofty: to extend the average human lifespan by a decade.
Researchers have developed AI-driven evaluation standards to enhance ageing-related interventions, aiming to improve health outcomes and longevity through personalized, reliable recommendations.
Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) and the Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Aging Research at Rostock University Medical Center in Germany conducted a collaborative study on the use of advanced AI tools, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), to enhance the evaluation of ageing-related interventions and provide personalized recommendations. Their findings were published in the journal Ageing Research Reviews.
Ageing research generates vast amounts of data, making it challenging to assess the safety and effectiveness of interventions like new medications, dietary modifications, or exercise regimens. This study explored how AI can streamline data analysis with greater efficiency and accuracy.
People with shorter telomeres — the protective caps at the ends of their chromosomes — may have a higher risk of developing age-related brain diseases such as stroke, dementia, and late-life depression (typically diagnosed at age 60 or older). This finding comes from a preliminary study set to be presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2025, a leading global event for stroke and brain health research, taking place in Los Angeles from February 5–7, 2025.
Telomere length in white blood cells (leukocytes), known as leukocyte telomere length, is a well-established marker of biological aging. As people age, telomeres naturally shorten, reducing their ability to protect chromosomes, which accelerates cellular aging and increases vulnerability to age-related diseases. While telomere length is partly determined by genetics, ancestry, and gender, it is also influenced by lifestyle factors and environmental stressors such as diet, exercise, and pollution.
These insights could drive the development of new drugs to treat transthyretin amyloidosis, a progressive and fatal disease.
Transthyretin, a small but crucial protein, plays a vital role in transporting hormones through the blood and spinal fluid. However, when it misfolds after secretion, it can lead to serious health problems. Misfolded transthyretin forms toxic clumps in the heart and along nerves, causing transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR)—a progressive and often fatal disease. ATTR affects up to 25% of men over 80, leading to symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
In a breakthrough study, researchers at Scripps Research have revealed new structural insights into transthyretin. Their findings, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
Posted in biotech/medical, chemistry, computing, existential risks, genetics, life extension | Leave a Comment on ‘Eternal’ 5D memory crystal capable of storing 360 TB of data for billions of years now holds a full human genome
The data inscribed into the crystal is carefully annotated with universal elements like hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, as well as the four DNA bases—adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine—that make up the genetic code. Additionally, the molecular structure of DNA and the arrangement of genes within chromosomes are depicted, offering clear instructions on how to interpret the genetic information stored within.
However, it is important to note that the 5D memory crystals require a highly specialized skill set and advanced equipment to inscribe and read the data stored within the crystals, so those looking to re-establish the human race after an extinction event may have to refer to more traditional means.
The crystal, made from fused quartz, is one of the most chemically and thermally resilient materials known on Earth, and can endure temperatures as high as 1000°C, resist direct impact forces up to 10 tons per square centimeter, and is unaffected by long-term exposure to cosmic radiation. The longevity and storage capacity of the 5D memory crystal earned it a Guinness World Record in 2014 for being the most durable data storage material ever created.
