Longevity

خلاصہ: Some neurons age early: Aging clock reveals molecules that protect against neurodegenerationUsing an aging clock, researchers from the University of Cologne have used the Caenorhabditis elegans model organism to demonstrate that nerve cells age differently. They identified both the causes of aging and molecules that keep the nervous system healthy in old age.Source InformationPublisher: Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news storiesOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Premature aging may result from immune responses triggered by faulty DNA repairDNA is often described as the instruction manual for building the fundamental components of life. Proteins are helpers that aid DNA in carrying out essential processes such as replication, repair, and transcription. Under normal conditions, proteins do not hang around near DNA when not needed, but in some cases, they become covalently and permanently bound to a DNA strand.Source InformationPublisher: Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news storiesOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Rejuve.AI Launches International Longevity Research DatabaseRoatán, Honduras — Rejuve.AI is activating the International Longevity Research Database (IRLDB) through its first real-world study cohort at the Longevity Biomarkers Competition and Summit , taking place February to March 2026 as part of the Infinite Games in Roatán, Honduras. The IRLDB is being activated through its first registered, consented cohort. Participants enrolled in the Longevity Biomarkers Competition are pre-boarded into the database under a formally registered IRLDB protocol. They contribute standardized baseline and follow-up biomarker data alongside continuous, app-mediated real-world tracking using the Rejuve Longevity App, This cohort represents an early deployment of Rejuve.AI’s research infrastructure, ahead of a broader public rollout planned as on-chain and scaling components are introduced to support larger study volumes. In parallel, Infinita City will host the next installment of the JoyScore experiment in collaboration with Longevity Rave, following a pilot conducted at Frontier Tower in December 2025. A Real-World, App-Enabled Longevity Study The Longevity Biomarkers Competition functions as the first live application of the IRLDB protocol, demonstrating how longevity research can be conducted in real-world settings while maintaining scientific rigor. Participants undergo standardized testing at defined timepoints while contributing longitudinal data via the Rejuve App between assessments. Measurements include blood-based biomarkers, epigenetic clocks, metabolomic profiles, wearable-derived physiological data, and structured questionnaires capturing function, behavior, and environment. This approach enables consistent benchmarking while preserving ecological validity, capturing how individuals actually live, train, and adapt over time. It also provides a structured framework for self-experimentation that prioritizes data quality, participant safety, and informed consent. Mapping the Signatures of Human Longevity Summit The competition is preceded by an opening summit on February 7–8, bringing together leading figures in aging research, clinical longevity, and translational science, including Eric Verdin, Andrea Maier, and other international researchers and practitioners, with participation from organizations including XPRIZE, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and the Biomarkers of Aging Consortium. A central focus of the summit is the ongoing debate in the longevity field around healthspan versus lifespan as the primary goal of intervention. Discussions explore the premise that meaningful lifespan extension necessarily implies preserved or improved healthspan, and that regenerative and damage-repair approaches should not extend periods of decline. Additional themes include how emerging and partially unvalidated therapies are being used in practice, and how clinics, consumers, and researchers can approach such interventions in ways that maximize learning, data sharing, safety, and participant autonomy. JoyScore Part II and the Exposome The summit also incorporates the second installment of the JoyScore experiment, led by longevity researcher Tina Woods. JoyScore explores how psychological wellbeing, social connection, and environmental and lifestyle exposures interact with biological aging processes over time. Attendees of the Infinita Games may opt in to participate, contributing JoyScore data through the Rejuve App. This enables psychosocial and exposomic signals to be analyzed alongside biomarker and functional data within the same research infrastructure. About Rejuve.AI Rejuve.AI is a decentralized longevity research network developing open, protocol-driven systems for studying aging, healthspan, and potential rejuvenation through real-world, longitudinal data. About Infinita City Infinita City is a longevity-focused innovation environment in Prospera, Roatán, supporting real-world experimentation in health, science, and emerging technologies. About Longevity Rave Longevity Rave is a global platform exploring longevity through science, culture, and participatory experiences, including the JoyScore experiment. We would like to ask you a small favor. We are a non-profit foundation , and unlike some other organizations, we have no shareholders and no products to sell you. All our news and educational content is free for everyone to read, but it does mean that we rely on the help of people like you. Every contribution, no matter if it’s big or small, supports independent journalism and sustains our future. Yes I will donate❤️Source InformationPublisher: Lifespan Research InstituteOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Engineered Extracellular Vesicles Reduce Arrhythmia in RatsIn Nature Communications , researchers have described how small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) fused with plasma membrane proteins successfully treated heart arrhythmia in a rat model . Why do people need pacemakers? In a healthy heart, the sinoatrial node (SAN) serves as a natural regulator, commanding the heart to regularly contract. As it becomes dysfunctional and fibrotic with age, heart arrhythmia is the result . Artificial pacemakers are the standard of care for this condition, but such devices come with their own complications . Some work has focused on regenerating the SAN, including turning heart cells into pacemaker cells with gene therapy , directly injecting SAN cells created through induced pluripotency , and, in some cases, targeting specific ion channels through RNA editing . However, there are inherent risks of cancer and cellular death, and making these interventions into safe, reliable, and broadly applicable therapies has proven to be difficult . An effective delivery method These researchers, therefore, turned to sEVs as their desired method for bringing protective RNA and proteins to the cells that need them. Ordinary sEVs, however, are quickly recycled in the body and do not naturally target specific cells . Engineering these vesicles, therefore, has become a priority, with multiple techniques being explored . Coating them in platelet membrane proteins serves two key functions: it hides them from the immune system, and it encourages delivery to injured areas . The particular sEVs used in this experiment were derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), filtered by size. Rat platelets were then stripped of their contents and their membranes were attached to the sEVs, creating PM@i-sEVs. The researchers then subjected these modified sEVs to a barrage of tests, confirming that the plasma membrane was securely fastened to the sEV and that the membrane-enclosed sEVs do not congeal together the way that actual platelets do. PM@i-sEVs were confirmed to be taken up into induced cardiomyocytes (iCMs). 24 hours after they were taken up, they released their contents into the cells’ cytosol. Further testing in rats found that they were found to be better taken up by SAN cells instead of being concentrated in the liver the way that unmodified sEVs are. Further in vitro testing found that they were significantly more attracted to collagen-coated cells than their unmodified counterparts. Effective in rats To test the effectiveness of PM@i-sEVs, the researchers created a rat model of heart arrhythmia. The rats’ SANs were injured with sodium hydroxide and ischemia-reperfusion, which was confirmed to induce arrhythmia. 24 andd 72 hours after this injury, some of these rats were injected with PM@i-sEVs, others were injected with i-SEVs, and others served as controls. After a month, the rats treated with PM@i-sEVs fared much better than the other two groups as measured by multiple metrics of heart rhythm function, and there was no damage to other organs as a result of this treatment. A closer examination found that the treated rats had SANs that were visibly less diseased than those of the other two groups. There was less fibrosis, better collagen deposition, more organized tissue structure, and less congestion; further in vitro experiments found that PM@i-sEVs do indeed significantly reduce fibrosis in cells. An examination of the specific microRNA molecules found in the sEV payloads suggested potential reasons why. Several of these molecules that were “previously linked to cardiac repair, arrhythmia suppression, and ischemic preconditioning” were found in these vesicles. While this was only an injured rat model and further work needs to be done to confirm these EVs’ effects in naturally aged organisms, including humans, this approach appears to be promising. We would like to ask you a small favor. We are a non-profit foundation , and unlike some other organizations, we have no shareholders and no products to sell you. All our news and educational content is free for everyone to read, but it does mean that we rely on the help of people like you. Every contribution, no matter if it’s big or small, supports independent journalism and sustains our future. Yes I will donate❤️ Literature Duan, S., & Du, J. (2023). Sinus node dysfunction and atrial fibrillation—Relationships, clinical phenotypes, new mechanisms, and treatment approaches. Ageing Research Reviews , 86 , 101890. Glikson, M., Nielsen, J. C., Kronborg, M. B., Michowitz, Y., Auricchio, A., Barbash, I. M., … & Witte, K. K. (2022). 2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy: Developed by the Task Force on cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) With the special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). EP Europace , 24 (1), 71-164. Kapoor, N., Liang, W., Marbán, E., & Cho, H. C. (2013). Direct conversion of quiescent cardiomyocytes to pacemaker cells by expression of Tbx18. Nature biotechnology , 31 (1), 54-62. Protze, S. I., Liu, J., Nussinovitch, U., Ohana, L., Backx, P. H., Gepstein, L., & Keller, G. M. (2017). Sinoatrial node cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent cells function as a biological pacemaker. Nature biotechnology , 35 (1), 56-68. D’Souza, A., Pearman, C. M., Wang, Y., Nakao, S., Logantha, S. J. R., Cox, C., … & Boyett, M. R. (2017). Targeting miR-423-5p reverses exercise training–induced HCN4 channel remodeling and sinus bradycardia. Circulation research , 121 (9), 1058-1068. Vo, Q. D., Nakamura, K., Saito, Y., Iida, T., Yoshida, M., Amioka, N., … & Yuasa, S. (2024). IPSC-derived biological pacemaker—From bench to bedside. Cells , 13 (24), 2045. Rai, A., Claridge, B., Lozano, J., & Greening, D. W. (2024). The discovery of extracellular vesicles and their emergence as a next-generation therapy. Circulation research , 135 (1), 198-221. Fan, M., Zhang, X., Liu, H., Li, L., Wang, F., Luo, L., … & Li, Z. (2024). Reversing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor–Associated Cardiotoxicity via Bioorthogonal Metabolic Engineering–Driven Extracellular Vesicle Redirecting. Advanced Materials , 36 (45), 2412340. Hu, C. M. J., Fang, R. H., Wang, K. C., Luk, B. T., Thamphiwatana, S., Dehaini, D.,...

خلاصہ: Shingles Vaccination Is Associated With Slower AgingAn analysis of over 3800 older adults found that shingles vaccination is associated with lower inflammation scores, slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, and a lower composite biological aging score . Beneficial side effects Vaccines are developed to prevent specific diseases, such as polio, measles, hepatitis, and many others. However, recent data suggest that some adult vaccines may have unintended yet beneficial effects. For example, vaccines against herpes zoster (shingles), influenza, and pneumococcus were linked to reductions in the risk of age-related diseases, such as dementia and cardiovascular diseases . This initial data sparked the interest of other researchers, including the authors of this study, to investigate this topic further. The study’s authors specifically focused on the shingles vaccine, which protects against a viral infection caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus. The researchers used data from the nationally representative U.S. Health and Retirement Study of 3,884 adults 70 years old and up in order to address the impact of shingles vaccination (specifically an earlier version called Zostavax) on seven biological aging domains: inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, blood flow forces (cardiovascular hemodynamics), neurodegeneration, and epigenetic and transcriptomic aging that affect gene expression. Vaccinating against aging Analysis of the data, after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors, showed significant associations between shingles vaccination and three of the seven biological aging domains: lower inflammation scores and slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging. The lower observed inflammation scores suggest reduced chronic inflammation. In the elderly, chronic inflammation, often referred to as “inflammaging,” contributes to multiple age-related conditions such as heart disease, frailty, and cognitive decline. “By helping to reduce this background inflammation — possibly by preventing reactivation of the virus that causes shingles, the vaccine may play a role in supporting healthier aging,” said Research Associate Professor of Gerontology Jung Ki Kim, the study’s first author. “While the exact biological mechanisms remain to be understood, the potential for vaccination to reduce inflammation makes it a promising addition to broader strategies aimed at promoting resilience and slowing age-related decline.” Beyond inflammation, gene expression and epigenetic profiles were also positively affected by vaccination. Epigenetic age acceleration was assessed using DNA methylation-based aging clocks, which are used to measure biological age, assess the rate of aging, and evaluate the risk of various health outcomes, including mortality, frailty, and chronic diseases. Since aging affects multiple systems in the body, the researchers created a composite biological aging score by integrating information across six domains into a single measurement; the adaptive immunity domain was excluded due to unexpected results, which could have obscured meaningful effects. Shingles vaccination was associated with a lower composite biological aging score, suggesting that this vaccine affects multiple bodily systems. Overall, “This study adds to emerging evidence that vaccines could play a role in promoting healthy aging by modulating biological systems beyond infection prevention,” said Kim. Unexpected results However, not all measured components showed improvements. The authors reported that, contrary to their expectations, vaccination was associated with higher adaptive immunity scores, reflecting poorer adaptive immune function. This was difficult to interpret, and the lack of additional biomarkers prevented the researchers from testing some of their hypothesized explanations. They also suggest the possibility that vaccination might simultaneously have protective and potentially adverse effects. The lack of effect of the shingles vaccine on neurodegeneration biomarkers was also rather surprising, given previous links between shingles vaccination and reduced dementia incidence. However, the researchers believe that the biomarkers they used, which reflect long-term damage, might not capture the direct effect of the vaccination on dementia; instead, the effect might be indirect, such as through reduced inflammation, which is more dynamic. The long-term effects While vaccination is a one-time intervention, it may have long-term effects. An analysis of the impact of vaccination over time shows that reduced epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, as well as composite biological aging scores, are present in peopple who had recently received the vaccine and in people who had received it 4 or more years earlier. While the persistence of epigenetic and gene expression effects suggests a potential for long-term effects, those effects may diminish over time, since both DNA methylation and gene expression changes were greater in people vaccinated more recently. However, this needs further investigation. Regarding different domains of aging, the initial three years post-vaccination were not associated with changes in other measured domains. However, three or more years after vaccination, the researchers observed an association with lower inflammation and innate immunity scores, but poorer adaptive immune function. The researchers point out that these observations might suggest that the impact of the shingles vaccine on the immune system and inflammatory responses unfolds slowly over time, thereby impacting the immune system in the long term. Beyond preventing illnesses “These findings indicate that shingles vaccination influences key domains linked to the aging process,” said study coauthor Eileen Crimmins, USC University Professor and AARP Professor of Gerontology. “While further research is needed to replicate and extend these findings, especially using longitudinal and experimental designs, our study adds to a growing body of work suggesting that vaccines may play a role in healthy aging strategies beyond solely preventing acute illness.” This is promising, especially since this intervention was effective even in the older population (people studied here were over 60 when they received the vaccine), who are usually less responsive to interventions. However, it remains to be determined whether stronger effects would be observed if a younger population (in their 50s) were to receive the vaccine or if participants received a newer formulation of the shingles vaccine (Shingrix). This study also raises a very important question of whether interventions not designed to target aging have geroprotective effects. If so, some of them, such as the shingles vaccine, might be low-cost interventions with the potential to positively influence biological aging and extend healthspan. We would like to ask you a small favor. We are a non-profit foundation , and unlike some other organizations, we have no shareholders and no products...

خلاصہ: Longevity Advocacy in 2025: The Expert RoundupThe last installment in our end-of-year series of expert roundups might be the least flashy, but it is arguably no less important than the previous ones dedicated to longevity biotech and geroscience. Public advocacy is a powerful lever. To quote Abraham Lincoln: “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed.” Wide public support could turn longevity into the next global moonshot project, with governments dedicating immense resources and creating a favorable regulatory climate, while the public pushes for faster change. Currently, we are far from this point, but the tide might be turning. We asked six prominent figures in longevity advocacy to share their thoughts on the movement’s ups and downs in 2025 and its prospects going into 2026. What successes and failures did longevity advocacy have in 2025, and how did they change your long-term outlook on its prospects? Andrew Steele, author of Ageless, longevity scientist and advocate I think 2025 continues a trend we’ve seen over the last few years which is both good and bad: the word ‘longevity’ has become increasingly visible, and concepts like biological age are being discussed more both on social media and in traditional newspapers, magazines, and so on. The good news is that the idea of measuring and even slowing biological aging is catching on. The bad news for longevity science is that it’s mostly a repackaging of well-worn lifestyle advice – sleep well, get some exercise, eat whatever diet the newly pivoted ‘longevity’ influencer was promoting before, and so on – and doesn’t touch on the idea of medical interventions to slow aging, which is where the real prize is. Melissa King and Bernard Siegel, co-founders of the Healthspan Action Coalition (HSAC) 2025 marked longevity’s shift from marginal science to mainstream policy concern. States tested the boundaries of access and regulation. Montana expanded “Right to Try” beyond terminal illness, and Florida legislation increased access to unapproved stem cell therapies, but both demand scrutiny for patient safety and efficacy. The THRIVE Act ( Therapeutic Healthspan Research, Innovation, and Validation Enhancement Act ), proposed U.S. legislation, was spearheaded by the Kitalys Institute and HSAC to create a new FDA regulatory pathway for healthspan-extending products, incentivizing treatments that improve the years lived in good health rather than just extending lifespan. This act aims to overcome current barriers by offering incentives like market exclusivity for therapies targeting aging-related diseases, making healthy longevity a national health priority. Washington has, in Lifespan.io’s words, “arguably the most pro-longevity administration in history,” through key appointments, while pharma committed billions to longevity programs. However, proposed budget cuts for NIH and NSF budget cuts threaten critical basic research. Broad institutional and patient advocacy coalitions likely will prevail keeping the budgets close to being fully funded. More problematic is a loss of expertise and experience in Institute leadership. Commercialization setbacks, including Unity Biotechnology’s shutdown and Calico partnership dissolution, exposed the field’s uncertainty. Meanwhile, premature clinic proliferation, inconsistent biomarker validation, and high-cost interventions risked eroding public trust and deepening equity gaps. Our outlook is optimistic. Political recognition creates unprecedented regulatory opportunities, but funding crises and credibility risks could close this window quickly. The field must prioritize rigorous evidence, standardized protocols, and equitable access, or risk squandering a historic moment. The infrastructure we build now determines whether longevity becomes a transformative public health policy or boutique medicine for elites. Dylan Livingston, founder and CEO of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI) 2025 felt like a turning point. The biggest signal to me was getting someone like Jim O’Neill into the Deputy Secretary of HHS role; that’s a level of institutional leverage the field hasn’t had before. Some people expected overnight change, and that was the main “failure” of our industry in 2025: unrealistic timelines and impatience. Biotech and policy compound slowly, then quickly. My long-term outlook is more bullish, not because everything changed instantly, but because the right levers are now closer to being pulled – and once one major barrier moves, a lot of other things can move behind it. I also think Jim’s appointment set a precedent by making it easier for future administrations to bring longevity-literate leaders into senior roles and treat this as a serious policy priority. Adam Gries, co-founder of the Vitalism Society 2025 marked a shift from aspiration to law. States led the charge: New Hampshire’s HB 701 substantially expands right-to-try for terminal patients; Montana’s SB 535 created a licensed framework for experimental treatment centers using post-Phase I therapies, positioning the state as a potential hub for innovation. Florida’s stem cell carve-out (effective July 1) allowed physicians to administer certain non-FDA-approved therapies under rigorous manufacturing and consent rules – controversial, but a clear signal of demand for faster translation. Federally, Dylan Livingston and A4LI grew the bipartisan Longevity Science Caucus significantly, with Dr. Mehmet Oz headlining their fly-in and lending real political momentum. Some gaps remain. We still lack a pathway for prevention-focused biologics, and the community hasn’t encouraged enough great scientists and innovators into government roles. My outlook is unchanged and bullish. Advocacy is still the cheapest, highest-ROI lever for change, especially with overall longevity-positive tailwinds. Anastasia Egorova, CEO of Open Longevity If we measure success by public recognition, then yet again, no one outperformed Bryan Johnson. However, that is a very niche type of fame, and the jury is still out on whether it actually benefits longevity R&D – you know, the science that will actually extend our lifespans. I know of several projects initiated in 2025 that went barely noticed, even by the longevity community itself (a couple of new books, a new documentary in the making, and so on). Let’s count them as seeds planted for the future; they have potential, even if they’re quiet. As for advocacy’s influence on policy and funding? It’s too early to call. The year felt like one long transition period; this world moves slowly. In summary: there were no obvious wins for advocacy...