In this episode of Longevity Papers, we critically analyze five cutting-edge research papers for biotech researchers and longevity enthusiasts, sourced from longevitypapers.com: 1) An Antagonistically Pleiotropic Gene Regulates Vertebrate Growth, Maturity and Aging (Moses et al., biorxiv, June 26, 2025, https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.01.538839v3) - We explore powerful new evidence for the trade-off theory of aging, where a single gene in killifish drives early maturation at the cost of late-life cancer. 2) Comparative analysis of mouse strains for in vivo induction of reprogramming factors (Picó et al., Cell reports, June 25, 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40560729/) - We discuss the development of crucial new mouse models that aim to make systemic rejuvenation via Yamanaka factors safer, a critical step toward clinical translation. 3) Misalignment of age clocks (Mei et al., GeroScience, June 25, 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40560445/) - We delve into a critical paper from the Conboy lab that challenges the validity of our most-used biomarkers, the epigenetic clocks, and what it means for the field. 4) Epigenetic age prediction using N6-methyladenine in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Renard et al., biorxiv, June 26, 2025, https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.20.660749v1) - We look at a completely novel type of epigenetic clock based on N6-methyladenine, a different DNA modification, that could open a new frontier in biomarker discovery. 5) Rejuvenation alleviates prolonged postsurgical pain in aging mice by mitigating inflammaging (Abdelkader et al., Pain, June 23, 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40546103/) - We examine how young blood factors can reverse age-related increases in post-surgical pain, reinforcing the role of systemic inflammaging in functional decline.