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Bile acid and steroid signatures tied to extreme longevity

Centenarians often live to 100+ due to a combination of protective genetic factors, which account for up to 50%, and healthy lifestyles, such as plant-forward diets, regular, natural movement and strong social connections. While these “agers” often possess unique immune system signatures, understanding the metabolic signs of healthy aging is not yet fully understood.

In a new study from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, researchers have discovered that centenarians have a distinct blood metabolite pattern that is not just an extension of normal aging. In particular, they show uniquely higher levels of certain primary and secondary bile acids and preserved levels of several steroids, patterns that diverge from the typical age trends seen in non-centenarians and that are linked to lower death risk. The study is published in the journal GeroScience.

“Our study points to measurable chemical fingerprints in the blood that are associated with living a very long and healthy life. If we can understand those fingerprints, we may identify biological pathways that could contribute to protecting people from age-related decline,” explains corresponding author Stefano Monti, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the school.

Programmable DNA shell scaffolds for directional membrane budding

Membrane budding plays pivotal roles in cellular processes, but a fully artificial system mimicking natural budding processes remains elusive. Here, the authors report a DNA origami-based membrane budding system that recapitulates key aspects of clathrin-mediated endocytosis without relying on components of cellular budding machineries.

Epigenetic and transcriptomic impacts of ethanol vary by brain region and extent of exposure

New in eNeuro from Periandri et al: Systematically comparing brain markers affected by brief versus long-term exposure to alcohol in mice unveils shared and different mechanisms that may inform alcohol use disorder treatment development.

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Epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms are key contributors to alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, a better understanding of the specific genes, transcripts, and chromatin marks affected is necessary to inform novel pharmacotherapies. Here, we systematically investigate the genome-wide epigenetic and transcriptomic effects of ethanol across key brain regions relevant to AUD and assess how these outcomes differ between acute and chronic exposure in male C57BL/6J mice. We show that alcohol-derived acetate contributes to histone acetylation in the brain in response to acute or chronic exposure, with a broader and more robust effect following repeated exposure. Further, we find that chromatin and transcriptomic changes elicited by acute or chronic ethanol exposure are predominantly specific to brain region, and observe more robust dysregulation of gene and transcript expression following acute exposure. We show that ethanol-induced transcriptional changes are paradigm-dependent in some brain regions, most strikingly in the ventral hippocampus. Overall, our results systematically illuminate and compare key epigenetic and transcriptomic outcomes linked to acute and chronic ethanol exposure, which will guide the development of future therapeutic interventions.

Significance Statement This is the first study to systematically investigate epigenetic and transcriptomic changes following acute or chronic exposure to alcohol, focusing on key regions previously linked to substance use disorders. We show the molecular impact of alcohol varies among brain regions and in part depends on the extent of alcohol exposure. Our results provide unprecedented detail on how alcohol affects transcriptional regulation in the brain, which in turn will inform the development of needed novel therapeutic interventions for alcohol use disorder.

Retroperitoneal fibrosis

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare immune-mediated disease characterised by a periaortoiliac fibro-inflammatory tissue that often encases neighbouring structures (eg, ureters). Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis can be isolated or part of IgG4-related disease, whereas secondary forms recognise different aetiologies, such as histiocytosis, malignancies, and infections. Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis has a multifactorial origin, with genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors being main contributors.

Study uncovers internal cell ‘trade winds’ that drive movement and repair

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have uncovered a previously unknown system of internal “trade winds” that help cells rapidly move essential proteins to the front of the cell, reshaping how researchers understand cell migration, cancer spread and wound healing.

The discovery, published in Nature Communications, reshapes what researchers thought they knew about how cells direct proteins to the right place at the right time.

For decades, biology textbooks have taught that free-floating proteins inside cells move mainly by diffusion, drifting randomly until they happen to reach their destination. But the new study shows that cells don’t leave this to chance. Instead, they create targeted streams of fluid that push essential proteins toward the cell’s leading edge, where movement and repair begin.

Diego Zarco develops biostasis in Mexico

Cryonics and biostasis have been little known and even less practiced in South America. Diego Zarco is working to change that in Mexico. Diego started Criogenia Avanzada in Mexico City and has been developing and funding the organization, preparing to offer SST (standby, stabilization, and transport) services with storage to be done outside the country.

In this discussion, Max More asks Diego how he become interested in cryonics, what his organization does, where Criogenia Avanzada is located in the city and how it will reach patients quickly, and how his experience in the music industry prepared him for the difficult work of making biostasis work in practice.

Google Warns Quantum Computers Could Break Bitcoin and Ethereum Encryption in 9 Minutes — Are Your BTC and ETH at Risk?

In short: The “lock” on the vault hasn’t been broken yet, but Google just published the blueprint for the bolt cutters, and they are much smaller than we imagined.

Google’s latest research warns quantum computers could break Bitcoin and Ethereum encryption faster than expected.

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