Trending insights on health and longevity

A newly identified brain-derived peptide, BRP, significantly reduces appetite and body weight in mice and pigs without causing nausea. This breakthrough uncovers a non-incretin pathway for appetite control, offering a promising, targeted approach for managing obesity and enhancing metabolic health.

Lowering of NF-κB p65 protein in the liver appears to be a common biological effect across a wide range of anti-ageing strategies, including dietary, pharmaceutical, and genetic interventions, highlighting this inflammatory regulator as a potential unifying target for promoting longevity and metabolic resilience.

Genetic evidence links specific gut bacteria, especially Akkermansia muciniphila, to traits of healthy ageing. This microbe may enhance lifespan and physical function by influencing inflammation and metabolism, suggesting gut microbiota as a potential target for promoting longevity and delaying age-related decline.

Middle-aged adults with reduced joint flexibility were significantly more likely to die from natural, non-COVID causes over a 13-year period, suggesting flexibility may be an overlooked marker of longevity.

Parental age shapes how new genetic mutations are passed on, with fathers contributing more mutations overall, but older mothers showing unique patterns that cluster in specific genome regions, influencing long-term human genetic diversity and potentially affecting health across generations.

A new compact epigenetic editor durably silences genes in the brain by recruiting the body’s own enzymes, offering a safer and more effective approach to treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Dynamic DNA structure controls memory formation by switching genes on and off. A specific DNA shape, G-quadruplex (G4-DNA), builds up in neurons during learning and regulates memory-related gene activity. Adjusting this structure alters memory formation, highlighting a new molecular mechanism underpinning brain plasticity and cognitive health.

Ageing disrupts vesicle transport in brain endothelial cells, impairing cellular recycling and barrier integrity. This dysfunction, linked to decreased Arf6 protein and increased Apoe cargo, accelerates vascular ageing and may contribute to neurodegenerative decline, highlighting a crucial mechanism in brain health and longevity.

Rapamycin significantly improves tendon-to-bone healing in ageing by enhancing bone growth, fibrocartilage regeneration, and tendon repair, leading to better structural and functional recovery after injury.