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New therapies for managing aging could emerge from research into a new gene, which scientists have identified as a key driver of degeneration. Age-related diseases are strongly linked to inflammation which, when chronic, albeit low-grade, contributes to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration, and sarcopenia. In a study, Dr. Ildus Akhmetov uncovered groundbreaking insights into the role of the Ectodysplasin A2 Receptor (EDA2R) in this process. EDA2R, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, specifically binds to the EDA-A2 protein and is involved in apoptosis, or cell death, and inflammatory signaling. The team identified a striking, tissue-independent...

A research consortium led by Nestlé Research in Switzerland made a recent discovery that the natural molecule trigonelline present in coffee, fenugreek, and also in the human body, can help to improve muscle health and function. The work builds on a previous collaborative study that described novel mechanisms of human sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is a condition where cellular changes that happen during aging gradually weaken the muscles in the body and lead to accelerated loss of muscle mass and strength and reduced physical independence. One important problem during sarcopenia is that the cellular cofactor NAD+ declines during aging, while mitochondria, the...

Obesity, an increasingly prevalent lifestyle disease, often occurs along with poor muscle mass. This condition, called sarcopenic obesity, is evaluated based on the patients' body mass index (BMI) and handgrip strength. Interestingly, sarcopenic obesity is known to increase the risk of cognitive impairment. Dementia, a cognitive condition where memory, thinking and social abilities progressively decline, is known to significantly affect the quality of life in elderly people. Is this condition associated with sarcopenic obesity? A group of researchers explored this very question. "If the association between sarcopenic obesity and dementia is established, appropriate preventive measures can be taken to reduce...