Aging

Stanford scientists may have found a way to essentially return older cells to a more youthful state. The adult cells are treated with a mix of proteins from early embryonic development, which removes many of the molecular signs of aging.

According to some studies, people who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of cognitive decline in old age. There may be hope, however, as a new study suggests that eating an avocado each day may help such folks maintain mental focus.

Two new studies are offering insights into diet, gut bacteria, and health. One finds a Mediterranean diet can reconfigure gut bacteria to promote healthy aging, while another finds gut bacteria producing a metabolite that increases heart disease risk.

A tool has been developed that can predict a person’s age based on a microbiome sample. The tool, developed in collaboration between UC San Diego and IBM researchers, is most accurate at predicting a person’s age when using a skin microbiome sample.

Couples trying to conceive often feel like they're racing the clock, as the quality and number of eggs declines in women. Now, this egg aging process has been reversed in mice using a metabolic compound, possibly leading to new fertility drugs.

Inflammation can get out of hand, causing pain and contributing to diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes. A molecular “switch” in mice that could effectively turn off that reaction, possibly reversing these conditions and maybe even aging itself.

A team of Harvard scientists has finally solved the mystery of how acute stress causes hair to turn gray. The researchers discovered when stress triggers the "fight or flight" response, it depletes pigment-producing stem cells in hair follicles.

A new study has examined the relationship between telomere length and intake of milk with different fat concentrations, suggesting there is a link between consumption of low-fat variants and longer telomeres that can equate to several years of aging.

Finding ways to slow down aging would help reduce all kinds of diseases. And now scientists have made a pretty substantial breakthrough, extending the lifespan of worms by a staggering 500 percent by tweaking a couple of cellular pathways.

Scientists are homing in on exactly how two experimental Alzheimer’s drugs may be generating the anti-aging effects seen in animal studies. The discovery of a unique metabolic pathway offers researchers novel directions for future anti-aging studies.

The blood-borne signs of aging – and indeed, perhaps the causes of agiing – make three big shifts around the ages of 34, 60 and 78, a new Stanford-led study has found, potentially leading to new diagnostic tests and avenues of anti-aging research.

In a new study, researchers looked at the immune systems of people who have hit the milestone of 110 years old, and found that they have a high number of a particular type of immune cell that’s rare even in healthy, younger people.