Matthew O'Connor

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A new study has found a negative association between unprocessed meat consumption and cognitive decline in carriers of the “pro-Alzheimer’s” APOE ε4 allele. This counterintuitive connection might have something to do with human evolution [1]. The meat connection The APOE gene, which produces apolipoprotein E, a protein central to lipid transport in the brain and...
Tau tangles
Researchers publishing in Cell Reports Medicine have described the development of a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) that delivers mRNA to neurons in order to stop the formation of tau aggregates and fight Alzheimer's disease. Tau and amyloids Amyloid beta deposition between neurons and tau aggregation within neurons are both hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, and evidence suggests...
Hassled person
A new study reported an association between having more problematic people in close networks and increased biological aging [1]. A look into the dark side Social connection has been discussed as a factor essential for well-being, reduced epigenetic aging, and inflammatory signaling [2, 3]. However, the dark side of social connections, relationships that are toxic...
Finding gut bacteria
Scientists have found a positive correlation between the abundance of the bacterium Roseburia inulinivorans in the gut and muscle strength in mice and humans, although the mechanism behind it is still unclear [1]. Can bacteria mimic exercise? As we age, we lose muscle mass and strength. This decline is a major driver of frailty, disability,...
Blood vessel network
Researchers publishing in Aging Cell have discovered that the nuclei of the cells that line injured arteries quickly become misshapen and that this leads to accelerated cellular senescence. Delivering zinc to these cells partially alleviates this dysmorphism. Two seemingly unrelated concepts This paper begins with a discussion of two different concepts that, on the surface,...
Gut-brain axis
A new study suggests that microbiome remodeling is a mechanism behind age-related cognitive decline, with one particular bacterial species identified as the likely culprit. In mice, antibiotics seem to reverse this effect [1]. The gut-brain axis and the microbiome Memory decline is a common and debilitating feature of aging, but its mechanisms remain poorly understood....