Aging-US

BUFFALO, NY — July 16, 2026 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on July 1, 2026, titled “Senescent cells accumulate lipid droplets.”

The study was led by first author Noa Rachmian-Cooper and corresponding author Valery Krizhanovsky from the Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

Cellular senescence is a natural biological process in which damaged or stressed cells permanently stop dividing while remaining metabolically active. Although senescence helps suppress tumor formation and supports normal processes such as tissue repair and development, senescent cells accumulate with age and contribute to chronic inflammation and numerous age-related diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. While many of the biological effects of senescent cells have been linked to inflammatory signaling, much less has been understood about the metabolic changes that accompany senescence.

In this study, the researchers investigated how cellular metabolism changes during senescence, with a particular focus on lipid metabolism. Using comprehensive metabolic profiling of human fibroblasts, they discovered that senescent cells accumulate high levels of triacylglycerols—the major precursors of lipid droplets—alongside increased glycolytic activity. Additional laboratory experiments confirmed that senescent cells contain significantly more lipid droplets than actively dividing cells.

Full press release - https://www.aging-us.com/news-room/senescent-cells-found-to-accumulate-lipid-droplets-across-aging-and-alzheimers-disease

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206390

Corresponding author - Valery Krizhanovsky - [email protected]

Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZbhY3wtGGI

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Keywords - aging, senescence, lipid droplets, metabolism, Alzheimer’s disease

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BUFFALO, NY — July 13, 2026 — A new #review was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on June 26, 2026, titled “Hormonal dimorphism in sarcopenia disease.”

The review was led by first author Romain Menard and corresponding author Romain Madelaine from the MDI Biological Laboratory, Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Aging, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA.

Sarcopenia—the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function with aging—is one of the leading causes of frailty and disability in older adults. Although the condition affects millions of people worldwide and has been recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization since 2016, treatment options remain largely limited to exercise and nutritional interventions, with no approved medications specifically targeting the disease. Growing evidence now suggests that one reason for this limited success is that sarcopenia develops through distinct biological mechanisms in women and men.

In this comprehensive review, the authors examine how biological sex influences the hormonal mechanisms underlying muscle aging. They focus on three peptide hormones—apelin, insulin, and oxytocin—and describe how age-related changes in these interconnected signaling networks contribute to muscle decline through distinct biological pathways in women and men.

According to the review, women often experience an abrupt decline in muscle health during menopause as estrogen levels fall rapidly. This hormonal transition disrupts apelin signaling, accelerates insulin resistance, reduces oxytocin-mediated muscle regeneration, and impairs the function of satellite cells, the muscle stem cells responsible for repair and regeneration. In contrast, men generally undergo a slower, more gradual decline in muscle function that parallels progressive reductions in testosterone, resulting in different patterns of hormonal dysregulation and disease progression.

The review also highlights the central roles of apelin, insulin, and oxytocin in maintaining healthy skeletal muscle. Together, these hormones regulate muscle metabolism, glucose utilization, mitochondrial function, protein homeostasis, inflammation, and satellite-cell activity through overlapping signaling pathways. Disruption of this hormonal network during aging is proposed to contribute to impaired muscle repair, reduced metabolic function, chronic inflammation, and progressive muscle loss.

Full press release - https://aging-us.net/2026/07/13/sex-specific-hormones-could-hold-the-key-to-better-sarcopenia-treatments/

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206392

Corresponding author - Romain Madelaine - [email protected]

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Keywords - aging, sarcopenia, hormonal dimorphism, muscle aging, sex-stratified medicine, sexual dimorphism

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In this episode of the Longevity & Aging Series (S4, E4), Dr. Maria Blasco of the Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO) joins host Dr. Yuan Zhao to discuss the research paper she co-authored in Volume 18 of Aging, titled “Cross species activity of TERT human telomerase component.”

Interview video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHeysGp9oPg

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206372

Corresponding author - Maria A. Blasco - [email protected]

Longevity & Aging Series: https://www.aging-us.com/longevity

About Dr. Yuan Zhao: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sbbs/staff/yuan-zhao.html

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Keywords - aging, telomeres, telomerase

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BUFFALO, NY — July 7, 2026 — A new #review was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on June 22, 2026, titled “The multifaceted inducers of cellular senescence.”

The review was led by first author Hilah Gal and corresponding author Valery Krizhanovsky from the Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

Cellular senescence is a fundamental biological process in which damaged or stressed cells permanently stop dividing while remaining metabolically active. This response plays an essential role in suppressing tumor formation, supporting embryonic development, facilitating wound healing, and maintaining tissue integrity. However, as people age, senescent cells accumulate because they are no longer efficiently cleared by the immune system. Their persistence contributes to chronic inflammation, tissue dysfunction, cancer, and many age-related diseases.

In this comprehensive review, the authors examine the diverse biological stimuli that trigger cellular senescence and describe how seemingly different stimuli ultimately converge on common molecular pathways that establish stable growth arrest. Rather than viewing senescence as a single process, the review emphasizes its remarkable biological diversity and the importance of understanding how different initiating events shape distinct senescent cell phenotypes.

The review discusses several major biological inducers of cellular senescence. One of the best-established mechanisms is telomere attrition, in which repeated cell division gradually shortens chromosome ends until they trigger a persistent DNA damage response. Other important stimuli include direct DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation, ultraviolet light, chemotherapy, and oxidative injury, all of which activate cellular pathways that permanently halt proliferation.

Full press release - https://aging-us.net/2026/07/07/multiple-biological-triggers-shape-cellular-senescence-in-aging-and-disease/

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206391

Corresponding author - Valery Krizhanovsky - [email protected]

Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y7R_8GQ1gk

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Keywords - aging, cell senescence

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As people live longer, maintaining good health is becoming just as important as extending lifespan. While chronological age simply reflects the number of years a person has lived, biological age measures how well the body is functioning and may better predict future health. Researchers have increasingly focused on lifestyle factors that may slow biological aging, and diet has emerged as one of the most promising.

A research paper published in Volume 18 of Aging titled “Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with slower epigenetic aging,” investigated whether diets emphasizing plant foods are associated with slower biological aging as measured by DNA methylation-based epigenetic clocks.

Full blog post - https://aging-us.org/2026/07/plant-based-dietary-patterns-are-associated-with-slower-biological-aging/

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206362

Corresponding author - Hyunju Kim - [email protected]

Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcJ7oEZ-KFk

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Keywords - aging, plant-based diets, DNA methylation, epigenetic aging, all-cause mortality, middle-aged adults

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BUFFALO, NY — July 6, 2026 — A new systematic #review was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on June 18, 2026, titled “Life expectancy and causes of death in classical laminopathic progeroid syndromes: systematic review with individual-patient data synthesis.”

The study was led by co-first authors Carlos López-Vila, Manuel García-Cordeiro, and Luís Estévez-Martínez from the University of Santiago de Compostela, and corresponding author David Araújo-Vilar from the University of Santiago de Compostela and the University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Classical laminopathic progeroid syndromes are among the rarest inherited disorders known. Caused by mutations affecting the LMNA gene or the ZMPSTE24 enzyme, these conditions lead to premature aging, severe multisystem disease, and markedly shortened life expectancy. Although Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), mandibuloacral dysplasia (MAD), and restrictive dermopathy (RD) all belong to this group, reliable information about survival and causes of death for each disorder has remained limited because most published reports describe only individual patients or small case series.

In this study, researchers performed a comprehensive systematic review and individual-patient data analysis to date of classical laminopathic progeroid syndromes. Following PRISMA guidelines, they analyzed data from 169 published studies together with two additional genetically confirmed institutional cases, creating a cohort of 158 genetically confirmed patients for the primary survival analysis. By examining individual patient records rather than pooled summaries, the investigators were able to compare survival patterns and causes of death across each disease subtype with greater precision.

Full press release - https://aging-us.net/2026/07/06/comprehensive-individual-patient-analysis-clarifies-life-expectancy-across-rare-progeria-disorders/

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206389

Corresponding author - David Araújo-Vilar - [email protected]

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Keywords - aging, progeria, Lamin A/C (LMNA), ZMPSTE24, survival, cause of death

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BUFFALO, NY — July 1, 2026 — A new #review was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on June 11, 2026, titled “Age-related dysfunctions of the neuroendocrine axes in nonhuman primates with depression-like and anxious behavior.”

The review, dedicated to the late Dr. Mikhail (Misha) Blagosklonny, was written by Nadezhda D. Goncharova from the Kurchatov Complex of Medical Primatology, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute,” Adler, Sochi, Russian Federation.

As people grow older, their risk of developing stress-related disorders—including depression, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and neurodegenerative conditions—increases substantially. However, not everyone ages in the same way. Some individuals appear more resilient to stress, while others develop endocrine and metabolic disturbances that may accelerate aging and disease. Understanding the biological mechanisms behind these differences could help identify people at greater risk and support more personalized approaches to healthy aging.

In this review, the author summarizes decades of experimental research investigating how aging affects two major neuroendocrine systems—the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis—in nonhuman primates displaying either typical adaptive behavior or depression-like and anxiety-like behavior. Because rhesus monkeys closely resemble humans in their physiology, endocrine function, and behavior, they provide a valuable translational model for studying age-related changes that are difficult to examine in people.

The research shows that older monkeys with depression-like and anxiety-like behavior develop more pronounced dysfunction of the HPA axis than animals with standard behavior. These animals exhibited impaired negative feedback regulation, higher evening and nighttime cortisol levels, increased responses to acute stress, and greater activation of stress-related hormonal pathways. Together, these findings suggest impaired regulation of stress responses during aging.

The review also describes important age-related alterations in thyroid function. Older animals with depression-like and anxiety-like behavior showed lower thyroxine secretion, diminished thyroid responsiveness to hormonal stimulation, and evidence of impaired thyroid gland function. These endocrine changes were accompanied by greater insulin resistance, altered triglyceride metabolism, and reduced insulin secretion in overweight animals, indicating that stress-related neuroendocrine dysfunction may extend well beyond the brain.

Importantly, the findings suggest that behavioral characteristics may influence how endocrine systems age. Rather than experiencing identical biological changes over time, individuals with greater vulnerability to stress may develop more severe hormonal disturbances that contribute to age-related disease.

Full press - https://aging-us.net/2026/07/01/nonhuman-primate-research-reveals-how-aging-stress-and-behavior-may-interact-to-increase-disease-risk/

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206388

Corresponding author - Nadezhda D. Goncharova - [email protected] (ORCID id: 0000-0002-2720-9846)

Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj8zvthBiA4

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BUFFALO, NY — June 29, 2026 — A new #review was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on May 30, 2026, titled “The love and hate relationship between cellular senescence and stemness.”

The review was led by first author Angelos Papaspyropoulos and corresponding author Vassilis G. Gorgoulis from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Greece.

Cellular senescence and stemness have traditionally been viewed as biological opposites. Senescent cells permanently stop dividing in response to cellular stress, helping prevent the spread of damaged cells, while stem cells maintain tissue repair by continuously renewing themselves and generating specialized cells. However, growing evidence suggests that the relationship between these two biological processes is far more complex and depends on the tissue type, physiological conditions, and disease context.

In this review, the authors summarize recent research examining how senescence and stemness interact across normal tissues, aging, regeneration, and cancer. Rather than always opposing one another, the two processes can either suppress or reinforce each other depending on the biological setting.

Under normal physiological conditions, senescence often limits stem cell activity. The review highlights studies showing that excessive senescence can impair the regenerative capacity of mesenchymal stem cells, muscle satellite cells, dental pulp stem cells, and pancreatic β-cell progenitors. In several experimental models, reducing senescence restored stem cell function and improved tissue regeneration.

At the molecular level, multiple signaling pathways contribute to this balance, including the p53/p21 and p16INK4A/RB pathways, mTOR signaling, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These pathways help determine whether cells maintain regenerative potential or enter a stable senescent state.

The review also emphasizes that the relationship changes dramatically in cancer. In many tumors, senescent cells can promote the emergence of cancer stem cells through inflammatory signals released as part of the SASP or through cells escaping from the senescent state. This interaction has been reported in several malignancies, including B-cell lymphoma, liver cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer, where stem cell-like properties may contribute to tumor progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy.

Full press release - https://www.aging-us.com/news-room/cellular-senescence-and-stem-cells-share-a-more-complex-relationship-than-previously-recognized

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206387

Corresponding author - Vassilis G. Gorgoulis - [email protected]

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Keywords - aging, senescence, stemness

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BUFFALO, NY — June 25, 2026 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on May 29, 2026, titled “Short-term responsiveness of DNA methylation–based aging biomarkers to a multimodal intervention comprising exercise and dietary guidance involving daily consumption of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536: an exploratory randomized controlled trial.”

The study, selected as our Editors’ Choice, was led by first author Tatsuki Nishimura and corresponding author Yukihiro Hishida from the R&D Division of Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., Japan.

As researchers continue searching for practical ways to promote healthy aging, increasing attention has focused on interventions that target multiple biological pathways simultaneously. While exercise and healthy eating are widely recognized as important components of healthy aging, scientists are also investigating whether specific dietary components and gut microbes may influence biological aging processes measurable at the molecular level.

In this study, researchers evaluated whether a 12-week lifestyle program could affect DNA methylation–based biomarkers of aging in overweight men aged 50 years and older. The intervention combined individualized exercise guidance, dietary counseling, and daily consumption of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536, a probiotic strain that has previously been linked to beneficial effects on inflammation and gut health.

The randomized controlled trial enrolled 48 participants, who were assigned either to the intervention group or to a control group that maintained their usual lifestyle habits. Participants in the intervention group received dietary counseling focused on reducing overeating, exercise guidance encouraging regular walking or stepper-based activity, and a daily serving of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536.

To assess biological aging, the investigators measured several DNA methylation–based aging biomarkers before and after the 12-week intervention. Particular attention was given to DunedinPACE, an epigenetic measure designed to estimate the current pace of biological aging rather than biological age itself.

Full press release - https://aging-us.net/2026/06/25/lifestyle-intervention-linked-to-slower-biological-aging-markers-in-older-men/

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206386

Corresponding author - Yukihiro Hishida - [email protected]

Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W5sDpGgZtE

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Keywords - aging, DNA methylation clock, DunedinPACE, Multicomponent lifestyle intervention, Bifidobacterium longum BB536

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BUFFALO, NY — June 23, 2026 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on May 28, 2026, titled “p38MAP kinase regulates senescence in human iPS-derived myocytes.”

The study was led by first author Hiroki Sato and corresponding author Ryuichiro Sato from The University of Tokyo, along with corresponding author Makoto Shimizu from The University of Tokyo and Ochanomizu University.

As people age, skeletal muscle gradually loses strength, mass, and function, contributing to frailty, reduced mobility, and an increased risk of falls. Although cellular senescence is widely recognized as a major driver of aging, the mechanisms that promote aging within mature muscle fibers remain poorly understood. In this study, researchers developed a human cell-based model to investigate how senescence develops in skeletal muscle cells and identified a signaling pathway that appears to play a central role in the process.

The research team used human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived myocytes, specialized muscle cells generated from stem cells. To mimic age-related cellular damage, the investigators exposed the cells to low-dose X-ray irradiation, which induced DNA damage without causing extensive cell death.

The treated muscle cells developed several characteristics commonly associated with aging. They exhibited muscle fiber atrophy, reduced contractile activity, and increased expression of p21, a well-established marker of cellular senescence. The researchers also observed elevated production of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors, inflammatory and extracellular signaling molecules that are commonly released by senescent cells.

To better understand the molecular changes involved, the investigators performed proteomic, transcriptomic, and functional analyses. These studies revealed activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), a signaling pathway previously linked to cellular stress responses and aging in other tissues.

Further experiments demonstrated that inhibiting p38MAPK partially attenuated several senescence-associated features in the muscle cells. Treatment with p38MAPK inhibitors reduced muscle fiber atrophy, improved contractile function, and suppressed the expression of several senescence-associated factors. Conversely, activating p38MAPK promoted aging-like changes in the cells, further supporting its role in regulating muscle cell senescence.

The study also identified activation of an integrin–FAK/SRC–p38MAPK signaling axis following DNA damage. According to the authors, this pathway may help explain how cellular stress is translated into long-term functional decline in skeletal muscle.

Importantly, the findings were supported by analyses of human muscle aging datasets, which showed increased activity of MAPK signaling, focal adhesion pathways, and cytokine-related signaling in older skeletal muscle tissue.

Full press release - https://aging-us.net/2026/06/23/researchers-identify-key-signaling-pathway-driving-muscle-cell-aging/

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206385

Corresponding authors - Ryuichiro Sato - [email protected], and Makoto Shimizu - [email protected]

Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULm7R74CJx0

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