MKP1 as a Target for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis The causes of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis remain somewhat unclear, which is often the case for conditions in which treatments struggle to achieve more than a slowed progression. There is evidence for cellular senescence to drive the progression of fibrosis, but most research remains focused on the molecular biochemistry of fibroblasts, the cells responsible for building the collagen deposits characteristic of fibrotic tissue. The process by which lung injury either leads to healing or fibrosis relies in part on what happens to a cell called a fibroblast, which forms connective tissue. During injury or illness, fibroblasts are activated, becoming myofibroblasts that form scar tissue by secreting collagen. When the job is done, these fibroblasts must be deactivated, or de-differentiated, to go back to their quiet state […]
https://www.fightaging.org/arc....hives/2024/04/mkp1-a

Bis(monoacylglycero)phosphates Accumulate in Aged Tissues Lipid metabolism is changed and disrupted with advancing age, as is the case for all complex mechanisms in the body. There are a great many different lipids present in the body; even the list of classes of lipid is a long one. Finding specific changes that relate to aging can be interesting, but the challenge lie in better understanding how those changes come about, and whether they causes significant harm to tissues. Many age-related changes in molecular biochemistry are far downstream of the important causes of aging and do not cause much further disruption in and of themselves. In recent years, laboratory research has shown that we may be able to counteract age-related diseases by intervening in the fundamental processes that lead to ageing. Although […]
https://www.fightaging.org/arc....hives/2024/04/bismon

Endothelial Cellular Senescence Contributes to Loss of Capillary Density The consensus of the research community on senescent cells in old tissues is that (a) their presence causes harm, and (b) treatments based on the selective removal of such cells will be beneficial, reversing many aspects of aging and age-related disease. These cells secrete a pro-inflammatory mix of signal molecules that is disruptive to tissue structure and function when maintained over time. Cells become senescent constantly throughout life, only to be destroyed by programmed cell death or by the immune system. With advancing age, newly created senescent cells are cleared ever more slowly, however, and thus the burden of lingering senescent cells grows throughout the body. As the authors of today's open access paper note, the presence of senescent endothelial cells in blood vessel walls […]
https://www.fightaging.org/arc....hives/2024/04/endoth

An Interview with Reason of Repair Biotechnologies on Reversal of Atherosclerosis As some of you may know, I co-founded Repair Biotechnologies with Bill Cherman. The company is presently on the development of a gene therapy approach now demonstrated to rapidly reverse atherosclerosis in mice, the condition in which fatty plaques grow to narrow blood vessels and weaken blood vessel walls. One of the possible approaches to treating aging as a medical condition is to take the list of causes of human mortality, start at the top, and work down. Atherosclerosis is the single largest cause of death in our species, through the rupture of unstable atherosclerotic plaque leading to heart attack or stroke. The burden of established plaque correlates with mortality risk, but repeatable, sizable reversal of plaque in patients cannot be achieved by the current […]
https://www.fightaging.org/arc....hives/2024/04/an-int

Gut Microbiome Composition Correlates with Longevity in Rabbits The balance of microbial populations making up the gut microbiome is different from individual to individual, and changes with age in detrimental ways. Pro-inflammatory microbes, as well as those that create otherwise harmful metabolites, expand in number at the expense of microbial populations that produce beneficial metabolites. Evidence strongly suggests that both variations between individuals and age-related changes in the gut microbiome can contribute to age-related disease and mortality. Here, for example, a study in rabbits shows that specific differences in the gut microbiome correlate well with observed length of life. Longevity and resilience are two fundamental traits for more sustainable livestock production. These traits are closely related, as resilient animals tend to have longer lifespans. An interesting criterion for increasing longevity in rabbits could […]
https://www.fightaging.org/arc....hives/2024/04/gut-mi