General

Two leading causes of blindness are age and diabetes. Of course, many people are born blind or lose their sight early due to genetic reasons. However, out of those people who are reading this article and will get blind in the future, age and diabetes-related problems will be the ones […]

Recent research has suggested that the hippocampus, vital to memory function, has evolved to operate at the upper edge of its normal supply of nutrients and energy. Even minor reductions to that supply will produce functional issues in memory, and there are many mechanisms by which aging reduces the supply […]

Klotho is one of the few well-established longevity-associated genes that works in both directions in animal models: less klotho shortens life span, while more klotho extends life. Klotho also improves cognitive function. The mechanisms by which klotho produces these outcomes remain poorly understood: there is the usual grab-bag of identified […]

Loss of muscle mass and strength in astronauts remains an issue for space exploration. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a nematode species that is 1 mm long, shares common traits with humans and these worms are a good, cost-effective model for studying the effects of spaceflight on muscle. A NASA-funded research team […]