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Category: life extension

Anti-aging effect of Hedgehog signaling

Aging weakens the body’s ability to maintain balance and repair damage, increasing vulnerability to disease. This study reveals that the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in preserving tissue integrity and regenerative capacity. Using animal models, researchers found that activating Hh signaling in multiple tissues such as the liver and brain enhances tissue repair and mitigates age-related functional decline. These findings suggest that targeting Hh signaling could be a promising strategy to promote healthy aging by enhancing regeneration and alleviating age-related dysfunction.

This summary was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then revised and fact-checked by the author.

Convergence of aging- and rejuvenation-related epigenetic alterations on PRC2 targets

Rejuvenation of tissues in physiologically aging mice can be accomplished by long-term partial reprogramming via expression of reprogramming factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc). To investigate the epigenetic determinants of partial reprogramming-mediated rejuvenation, we used whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to carry out unbiased comprehensive profiling of DNA methylation changes in skin from mice subjected to partial reprogramming, as well as young and untreated old controls. We found a striking convergence of age- and rejuvenation-related epigenetic alterations on targets of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), with increased DNA methylation level and entropy over these regions. Native ChIP demonstrated extensive loss of H3K27me3 in aged epidermis compared to young, partially overlapping regions with age- and rejuvenation-related DNA methylation changes. In addition, large H3K9me2-marked “LOCK” heterochromatin domains defined the boundaries for hypomethylated highly entropic regions during aging. These results are also supported by a likewise prominent enrichment of PRC2 targets in gene expression data, suggesting that PRC2 activity can modulate aging and mediate tissue rejuvenation.

Japanese government panel endorses Sumitomo Pharma’s iPS-derived treatment for Parkinson’s

The expert council of the Japanese Ministry of Health has approved two regenerative medicine drugs based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) — a cure for Parkinson’s disease and heart failure. If the health minister approves the experts’ decision, Japan will become the first country in the world to allow the commercial sale of such products — almost 20 years after the discovery of the technology itself.

Japan’s health ministry said on Thursday a panel of specialists had endorsed Sumitomo Pharma’s iPS cell-derived treatment for Parkinson’s disease, paving the way for the world’s first medical products based on the technology.

A gel for wounds that won’t heal: Oxygen-delivering technology can prevent amputations

As aging populations and rising diabetes rates drive an increase in chronic wounds, more patients face the risk of amputations. UC Riverside researchers have developed an oxygen-delivering gel capable of healing injuries that might otherwise progress to limb loss.

Injuries that fail to heal for more than a month are considered chronic wounds. They affect an estimated 12 million people annually worldwide, and around 4.5 million in the U.S. Of these, about one in five patients will ultimately require a life-altering amputation.

The new gel, tested in animal models, targets what researchers believe is a root cause of many chronic wounds: a lack of oxygen in the deepest layers of the damaged tissue. Without sufficient oxygen, wounds languish in a prolonged state of inflammation, allowing bacteria to flourish and tissue to deteriorate rather than regenerate.

Senescent cells after pregnancy may fuel postpartum breast cancer spread

Postpartum breast cancer is diagnosed five to ten years after giving birth. It is associated with a higher risk of metastasis and a lower survival rate compared with women who have not been pregnant or those diagnosed during pregnancy. A team from the Institut Pasteur set out to understand the mammary gland mechanisms involved in tumor formation during involution, a major tissue remodeling process that occurs after pregnancy.

In a preclinical study, the scientists revealed how senescence, a cellular response inducing stable cell cycle arrest, plays an ambivalent role during mammary gland involution. While it is crucial for the normal tissue remodeling process in the mammary gland, senescence can also be hijacked by tumor cells to help them spread. This discovery, published in Nature Aging on February 18, 2026, suggests that targeting senescent cells during mammary gland involution could reduce the risk of postpartum breast cancer.

The Hume Band Might Be the Smartest Wearable for Stress + Recovery Yet

The Hume Band is quickly becoming one of the most interesting smart wearables in the longevity and performance space.

It tracks stress using HRV and other physiological signals distinguishing between productive stress (like training) and chronic stress (like anxiety). On top of that, it monitors the full suite of vitals: heart rate, SpO₂, respiratory rate, skin temperature, strain, and recovery.

The best part? It actually makes the data usable, instead of overwhelming.

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Senescent astrocytes discovered in Alzheimer’s brains point to new treatment targets

Researchers from the NeuroAD group (Neuropathology of Alzheimer’s Disease) within the Department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology at the University of Málaga, also affiliated with IBIMA–BIONAND Platform and CIBERNED, have made a pioneering breakthrough in the fight against this disease by identifying astrocytes as a promising cellular target for the development of future therapies.

The study demonstrates, for the first time, the presence of senescent astrocytes—cells that remain alive but have lost their functional capacity—in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, positioning this cellular aging process as a key mechanism in neurodegeneration.

The research, published in the journal Journal of Neuroinflammation, was led by Dr. Antonia Gutiérrez, Professor of Cell Biology and Principal Investigator of the NeuroAD group, together with Dr. Juan Antonio García León, Associate Professor of Cell Biology. Other contributors to the study include Laura Cáceres, Laura Trujillo, Elba López, Elisabeth Sánchez, and Inés Moreno.

Can personality change after 60? An eight-week program suggests it can

Younger and older adults alike are able to adopt new socio-emotional behaviors. Even older adults benefit from a personality intervention aimed at handling stress and challenging social situations better. This is the conclusion of a psychological aging research study conducted by researchers from Germany and Switzerland led by Prof. Dr. Cornelia Wrzus (Heidelberg University) and Prof. Dr. Corina Aguilar-Raab (University of Mannheim). The study examined the effects of an intervention program in participants of varying ages. It concluded that social and emotional skills training benefits both younger and older adults.

The study is published in the journal Communications Psychology.

According to the scientific community, socio-emotional behaviors include a person’s ability to recognize, express, and regulate their feelings as well as social relationships. This ability is associated with personal traits that influence, for example, how a person typically thinks, feels, and behaves in certain situations.

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