Aging-US

As we age, every tissue in the body undergoes gradual molecular changes. A long-standing question in aging research is whether these changes follow common patterns across tissues or whether each tissue ages on its own. While DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” can estimate age accurately across different tissues, identifying consistent patterns in gene expression has been much more challenging. One reason for this difficulty is methodology. Most studies focus on whether genes increase or decrease their expression levels with age. However, genes do not function in isolation. They operate within complex networks, coordinating their activity with many others. Changes in these relationships may be important aspects of the aging process. To understand this, researchers from the University of São Paulo performed a study titled “A combination of differential expression and network connectivity analyses identifies a common set of RNA splicing and processing genes altered with age across human tissues.” Full blog - https://aging-us.org/2026/01/a-common-aging-pattern-changes-in-rna-splicing-and-processing-across-human-tissues/ Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206347 Corresponding author - Nadja C. de Souza-Pinto - nadja@iq.usp.br Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1slKwaSd6g Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206347 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, gene expression, co-expression network analysis, RNA processing To learn more about the journal, please visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

BUFFALO, NY — January 7, 2026 — A new #meetingreport was #published in Volume 17, Issue 12 of Aging-US on December 23, 2025, titled “Cellular senescence meets infection: highlights from the 10th annual International Cell Senescence Association (ICSA) conference, Rome 2025.” Led by Stefanie Deinhardt-Emmer from Jena University Hospital and Marco De Andrea from the University of Piemonte Orientale and the University of Turin, the report summarizes key discussions from the 10th International Cell Senescence Association conference held in Rome in September 2025. It focuses on how infections can trigger cellular senescence, a state in which cells stop dividing and release inflammatory signals. This link is important since it connects infectious diseases with aging, chronic inflammation, and lasting tissue damage. Although cellular senescence is best known for its role in aging and cancer, the meeting highlighted its emerging importance in infection biology. Researchers described how viruses and bacteria can induce senescence in infected cells and spread its effects to nearby tissues. This process, known as infection-driven senescence (IDS), can help limit pathogen replication but may also prolong inflammation and slow recovery, particularly in older adults and during chronic infections. Several sessions focused on respiratory viruses like influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Researchers showed that these viruses can promote senescence in lung cells, contributing to persistent inflammation and reduced healing. Experimental models suggested that decreasing the amount of senescent cells improved lung repair, even after the virus was cleared, offering insight into why some patients experience long-lasting respiratory symptoms. Chronic viral infections were another major theme. Human cytomegalovirus and HIV were shown to drive senescence in immune and vascular cells. In people with HIV, viral proteins were associated with biological changes resembling accelerated aging, despite effective antiviral therapy. These findings help explain why age-related conditions occur earlier and more frequently in this population. In the meeting, it was also demonstrated that senescence is not limited to viral infections. Researchers reported that the bacterium Mycobacterium abscessus induces senescence in immune cells during chronic infection. These senescent cells increased inflammation and susceptibility to further infection. Removing them reduced bacterial levels in experimental models, suggesting new directions for treating persistent bacterial disease. “Mechanistically, IDS integrates DNA damage responses, inflammatory signaling, and metabolic stress, with consistent activation of p16INK4a, p21, and NF-κB pathways.” Across the conference, speakers discussed therapies that either remove senescent cells or reduce their harmful inflammatory signals. These approaches, known as senolytic and senomorphic strategies, showed promise in preclinical studies as potential tools to limit infection-related tissue damage and chronic inflammation. Overall, the meeting report presents infection-driven senescence as a unifying concept linking infection, immunity, and aging. The discussions at ICSA 2025 highlight a growing field with important implications for understanding chronic disease and the long-term health effects of infections. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206349 Abstract video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOHEBJs7DIc Connect with us on social media: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc

BUFFALO, NY — January 5, 2026 — A new #research paper featured as the #cover of Volume 17, Issue 12 of Aging-US was #published on December 22, 2025, titled “A combination of differential expression and network connectivity analyses identifies a common set of RNA splicing and processing genes altered with age across human tissues.” In this study by Caio M.P.F. Batalha from the University of São Paulo, André Fujita from the University of São Paulo and Kyushu University, and Nadja C. de Souza-Pinto also from the University of São Paulo, researchers investigated how gene activity changes with age across multiple human tissues. They found that many tissues share common aging-related alterations in genes involved in RNA splicing and RNA processing. These findings are important because RNA processing is essential for accurate protein production, and disruptions in this process are linked to aging and disease. Aging affects all tissues, yet identifying molecular changes that are shared across the body has remained challenging. To address this, researchers moved beyond traditional approaches that focus exclusively on changes in gene expression levels. They also analyzed how genes alter their patterns of interaction within regulatory networks, capturing age-related changes that are not evident from expression data alone. “Gene expression data (in TPM – transcripts per million) were obtained from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project.” Using RNA sequencing data from nearly one thousand human donors aged 20 to 70, the research team analyzed eight tissues, including blood, brain, heart, skin, and muscle. The results showed that many aging-related changes become evident only when gene network behavior is considered. When gene expression and network connectivity were analyzed together, a consistent group of genes emerged across tissues, most of which were linked to RNA splicing and RNA processing, key steps in the production of functional proteins. The study also revealed that these RNA-related genes are highly interconnected at the protein level. Many of them form known protein complexes, including components of the spliceosome, which plays a central role in RNA maturation. With age, the interactions among these genes tend to reorganize in similar ways across tissues, pointing to a shared biological response rather than independent, tissue-specific effects. In addition to RNA processing, the researchers observed age-related changes in pathways involved in managing damaged RNAs and proteins, including protein degradation, autophagy, and DNA damage response mechanisms. These pathways support cellular quality control and help limit the accumulation of molecular errors that increase with age. Overall, this study identifies RNA splicing and RNA processing as central, conserved features of human aging across tissues. It also demonstrates that network-based approaches provide a more complete view of the aging transcriptome, offering new insights into age-related biological changes and potential directions for aging research. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206347 Corresponding author - Nadja C. de Souza-Pinto - nadja@iq.usp.br Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1slKwaSd6g Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts To learn more about the journal, please visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

BUFFALO, NY — December 30, 2025 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17, Issue 11 of Aging-US on November 26, 2025, titled “Epigenetic aging signatures and age prediction in human skeletal muscle.” In this study, first author Soo-Bin Yang and corresponding author Hwan Young Lee from Seoul National University College of Medicine investigated how DNA methylation patterns in skeletal muscle change with age. Their findings offer a new and highly accurate method for estimating a person’s age, with potential applications in forensic science and aging research. Skeletal muscle is essential for movement, energy balance, and physical strength, functions that become more important to monitor as people age. This study improves our understanding of how muscle tissue changes over time at the molecular level. Unlike previous research, which mainly analyzed living individuals of European descent, this study used postmortem samples from an Asian population. “We analyzed DNA methylation profiles from 103 pectoralis major muscle samples from autopsies of South Korean individuals (18–85 years) using the Infinium EPIC array.” The researchers analyzed DNA from over 100 pectoralis major muscle samples taken from individuals aged 18 to 85. They identified 20 DNA methylation sites, called CpGs, that were strongly associated with age. These CpGs were found in genes involved in muscle function, stress response, metabolism, and age-related diseases. Using these markers, the team built two machine learning models to predict age: one using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and another using Single Base Extension (SBE). Both models were highly accurate, with average prediction errors between 3.8 and 5.5 years. The new “epigenetic clocks” outperformed existing age-prediction models designed for other tissue types. However, when applied to cardiac and uterine muscle, these models showed much lower accuracy, reinforcing the need for tissue-specific approaches in molecular age estimation. Beyond predicting age, the study also provides insight into how DNA methylation may affect muscle aging. Several of the identified CpGs were located in regions that regulate gene expression, being associated with a reduction of it in older muscle samples. Some of the affected genes are associated with sarcopenia, an age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Overall, this study introduces two reliable and cost-effective methods to estimate age from skeletal muscle, even when the DNA is partially degraded, making it especially useful in forensic settings. It also offers a path forward for developing future therapies that may slow age-related muscle decline and highlights how skeletal muscle aging can differ depending on population, tissue type, and anatomical location. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206341 Corresponding author - Hwan Young Lee - hylee192@snu.ac.kr Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i6Ua0cceMU Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206341 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, skeletal muscle, age, DNA methylation, next generation sequencing, single base extension To learn more about the journal, please visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

BUFFALO, NY — December 23, 2025 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17, Issue 11 of Aging-US on November 25, 2025, titled “A natural language processing–driven map of the aging research landscape.” In this study, Jose Perez-Maletzki from Universidad Europea de Valencia and Universitat de València, together with Jorge Sanz-Ros from Stanford University School of Medicine, used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze a century of global aging research, revealing shifts in focus and highlighting underexplored areas. The team analyzed over 460,000 scientific abstracts published between 1925 and 2023 to identify key themes, trends, and research gaps in the study of aging. Their goal was to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of how the field has evolved and where future research could have the greatest impact. The study found that aging research has moved from basic cellular studies and animal models to a growing focus on clinical topics, particularly age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Using natural language processing and machine learning, the researchers grouped publications into thematic clusters and tracked how interest in each topic changed over time. “By integrating Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) analysis, dimensionality reduction and clustering, we delineate a comprehensive thematic landscape of aging research.” One key finding was the growing separation between basic biological studies and clinical research. While both areas have grown significantly, they often progress independently with limited overlap. Clinical studies tend to focus on geriatrics, healthcare, and neurodegenerative diseases, while basic science emphasizes cellular mechanisms such as oxidative stress, telomere shortening, mitochondrial dysfunction, and senescence. The authors note that this lack of integration limits the translation of laboratory discoveries into medical applications. The study also showed that some emerging topics, such as autophagy, RNA biology, and nutrient sensing, are expanding rapidly but remain separated from clinical applications. In contrast, long-established links, such as those between cancer and aging, remain strong. The analysis also highlighted that potentially important associations, such as those between mitochondrial dysfunction and senescence or epigenetics and autophagy, are rarely studied and may be new research opportunities. This AI-driven analysis offers a new way to guide future research by identifying how different areas of aging science are interconnected or isolated. It also highlights how research priorities may be shaped by policy or funding trends, as seen in the heavy focus on Alzheimer’s disease. As the global population continues to age, understanding how biological processes relate to clinical outcomes is critical. This study not only offers a historical map of aging science but also serves as a tool to support more connected, interdisciplinary, and effective future research. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206340 Corresponding author - Jorge Sanz-Ros - jsanzros@stanford.edu Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4dJUGQ2ZcU Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts To learn more about the journal, visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

BUFFALO, NY — December 19, 2025 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17, Issue 11 of Aging-US on November 18, 2025, titled “Epigenetic age predicts depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging: importance of biological sex.” This study, led by Cindy K. Barha of the University of Calgary and the University of British Columbia, along with Teresa Liu-Ambrose of the University of British Columbia, found that older women with a younger biological age measured years before the COVID-19 pandemic experienced a greater increase in depressive symptoms during the early lockdown period. These findings could help shape future mental health strategies, particularly for women with high emotional or caregiving demands. Epigenetic age is a biological marker that reflects how the body is aging and may differ from a person’s actual age. Using long-term data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), the researchers investigated whether epigenetic age could predict changes in mental health during a major public health crisis. The study included over 600 adults, with an average baseline age of 63, and used two widely accepted epigenetic clocks, the DNAmAge and the Hannum Age, to estimate biological age. Depressive symptoms were tracked at four time points between 2012 and 2020, including during the height of the pandemic. “The mean participant chronological age at study entry was 63±10 years (46% female).” The analysis showed that in women, a younger biological age predicted a greater rise in depression during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was not observed in men or in individuals with older biological ages. The study challenges the common belief that a younger biological age always signals better mental or physical resilience. The researchers suggest that women with younger biological profiles may have been more socially or professionally active before the pandemic. When lockdowns disrupted daily routines and social connections, these individuals may have experienced more emotional distress. Additional factors, such as reduced physical activity, loss of routine, and decreased social interaction, known to affect both mental health and biological aging, may have had a stronger emotional effect on this group. The findings highlight the importance of considering biological sex when studying how aging affects mental well-being during stressful events. Although the study has some limitations, including the time gap between biological age measurement and the pandemic, it gives valuable insights into how biological and social factors interact during periods of crisis. Future research could use epigenetic clocks to better identify individuals at greater risk of mental health challenges during large-scale public health emergencies. Overall, this study adds to the growing field of social epigenetics and suggests that biological age may support more targeted public health planning, especially for older adults. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206337 Corresponding author - Teresa Liu-Ambrose - teresa.ambrose@ubc.ca Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVm78jKsdkY Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts To learn more about the journal, please visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

BUFFALO, NY— December 17, 2025 — We are pleased to announce that we have officially joined ResearchGate, the professional network for scientists and researchers. This collaboration enhances the visibility, accessibility, and impact of research published in Aging-US among the global scientific community. By integrating ResearchGate, Aging-US offers authors and readers an additional channel to discover, share, and discuss cutting-edge findings in aging research. The journal’s presence on the platform includes a dedicated profile, article listings, author profiles, and metrics that help track readership and engagement. As the field of aging research continues to grow rapidly, it is essential that high-quality studies are easy to find, access, and share. Joining ResearchGate allows Aging-US authors to connect their work with a wider network of peers, fostering collaboration, advancing understanding of the biology of aging, and helping translate discoveries into better health outcomes. ResearchGate hosts millions of researchers worldwide and provides tools for sharing publications, asking and answering research questions, and discovering new collaborators across institutions and disciplines. Aging-US’s participation on the platform reinforces its commitment to open scientific dialogue and timely dissemination of rigorously reviewed aging research. Authors publishing in Aging-US can now: -Link their publications directly to their ResearchGate profiles. -Track reads, recommendations, and citations through the platform’s analytics. -Engage with other scientists interested in aging, geroscience, and translational research. Readers and researchers can follow Aging-US on ResearchGate to stay updated on newly published articles, special issues, and calls for papers. To learn more about the journal, visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

BUFFALO, NY — December 16, 2025 — A new #research paper was #published in Aging-US on December 10, 2025, titled “Theobromine is associated with slower epigenetic ageing.” In this study, led by Ramy Saad from King’s College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, alongside Jordana T. Bell from King’s College London, researchers found that higher levels of theobromine, a natural compound found in cocoa, are associated with slower biological aging in humans. The findings suggest that theobromine may support healthy aging. Epigenetic aging refers to biological changes that affect how genes function over time. It is measured using blood-based markers such as DNA methylation and telomere length, which together provide a more accurate picture of aging than chronological age. In this work, researchers analyzed data from two large European studies. In 509 women from the TwinsUK cohort, they found that higher blood levels of theobromine were associated with slower aging, especially based on GrimAge, an epigenetic clock that predicts the risk of age-related disease and early death. The results were confirmed in 1,160 men and women from the German KORA study. “We initially tested for the association between six metabolites found in coffee and cocoa, and epigenetic measures of ageing in blood samples from 509 healthy females from the TwinsUK cohort (median age = 59.8, IQR = 12.81, BMI = 25.35).“ Importantly, theobromine’s effects were independent of related compounds such as caffeine. Even after adjusting for these other substances and different lifestyle factors, the association with slower aging remained strong. The study also associated higher theobromine levels with longer telomeres, another marker of healthy aging. While theobromine is commonly found in cocoa and chocolate, the study does not suggest increasing chocolate intake. However, it highlights the potential of everyday dietary components such as theobromine to influence aging. These findings support growing evidence that certain plant-based compounds may play a role in promoting long-term health. By identifying a connection between theobromine and slower biological aging, the study opens new directions for research into nutritional strategies for healthy aging. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206344 Corresponding authors - Ramy Saad - ramy.saad@kcl.ac.uk, and Jordana T. Bell - jordana.bell@kcl.ac.uk Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0P1USM8L6E Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206344 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, theobromine, epigenetic aging, DNA methylation, metabolomics, nutrition To learn more about the journal, visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

BUFFALO, NY — December 12, 2025 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17, Issue 11 of Aging-US on November 14, 2025, titled “Methylglyoxal-induced glycation stress promotes aortic stiffening: putative mechanistic roles of oxidative stress and cellular senescence.” The study was led by first authors Parminder Singh of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and Ravinandan Venkatasubramanian of the University of Colorado Boulder, with senior contributions from corresponding authors Pankaj Kapahi (Buck Institute for Research on Aging) and Zachary S. Clayton (University of Colorado Boulder and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus). The researchers investigated how methylglyoxal (MGO), a toxic byproduct that builds up in blood vessels with age or metabolic dysfunction like diabetes, contributes to artery stiffening. Their findings are especially important to aging and diabetes-related cardiovascular risk. Aortic stiffening, which reduces the flexibility of the body’s largest artery, is a key predictor of cardiovascular disease in older adults. The research team used young and aged mice to study how MGO affects vascular health. In young mice, chronic exposure to MGO increased aortic stiffness by 21%. However, when treated with Gly-Low, a supplement containing natural compounds such as nicotinamide and alpha-lipoic acid, this stiffening was completely prevented. Gly-Low also reduced the buildup of MGO and its harmful byproducts, particularly MGH-1, in both blood and tissue. “Aortic stiffness was assessed in vivo via pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ex vivo through elastic modulus.” The research showed that MGO’s damage goes beyond structural changes. It also caused the endothelial cells that line blood vessels to enter senescence, a state in which cells stop dividing and begin releasing inflammatory signals. This led to lower levels of nitric oxide, a molecule essential for blood vessel relaxation. In human vascular cells in lab culture, Gly-Low reversed these aging-like changes and restored nitric oxide production. In older mice, which naturally develop stiffer arteries, Gly-Low treatment during four months significantly reduced stiffness and lowered MGO and MGH-1 levels. This suggests that Gly-Low may help slow or even reverse vascular aging by reducing glycation stress. The study also identified the glyoxalase-1 pathway as a critical mechanism. This is a natural detox system that helps clear harmful molecules like MGO. Gly-Low appeared to boost this pathway. When the pathway was chemically blocked, Gly-Low’s protective effects disappeared, confirming its role in the process. Overall, the findings highlight glycation stress as a modifiable contributor to vascular aging. The results suggest that natural compound-based therapies, like Gly-Low, may offer a potential strategy to protect arteries from age- and diabetes-related damage. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206335 Corresponding authors: Pankaj Kapahi - pkapahi@buckinstitute.org; Zachary S. Clayton - Zachary.Clayton@cuanschutz.edu Abstract video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_rtq8eIb8c Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts To learn more about the journal, please visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

Treating aggressive cancers that do not respond to standard therapies remains one of the most significant challenges in oncology. Among these are basal-like breast cancers (BLBC), which lack hormone receptors and HER2 amplification. This makes them unsuitable for many existing targeted treatments. As a result, therapeutic options are limited, and patient outcomes are often poor. One emerging strategy is to induce senescence, a state in which cancer cells permanently stop dividing but remain metabolically active. This approach aims to slow or stop tumor growth without killing the cells directly. Although promising, the clinical application of senescence-based therapies has been limited by several challenges. Senescence is typically identified using biomarkers such as p16, p21, and beta-galactosidase activity. However, these markers are often already present in aggressive cancers like BLBC (Sen‑Mark+ tumors), making it difficult to determine whether a treatment is truly inducing senescence or merely reflecting the tumor’s existing biology. Moreover, conventional screening methods may mistake reduced cell growth for senescence, cell death, or temporary growth arrest, leading to inaccurate assessments. This is especially problematic in large-scale drug screening, where thousands of compounds must be evaluated quickly and reliably. To overcome these issues, researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Dundee have developed a new machine learning–based method to improve the detection of senescence in cancer cells. Their findings were recently published in Aging-US. The Study: Developing the SAMP-Score The study, titled “SAMP-Score: a morphology-based machine learning classification method for screening pro-senescence compounds in p16-positive cancer cells,” was led by Ryan Wallis and corresponding author Cleo L. Bishop from Queen Mary University of London. This paper was featured on the cover of Aging-US Volume 17, Issue 11, and highlighted as our Editors’ Choice. Full blog - https://aging-us.org/2025/12/using-machine-learning-to-identify-senescence-inducing-drugs-for-resistant-cancers/ Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206333 Corresponding author - Cleo L. Bishop - c.l.bishop@qmul.ac.uk Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXI_KI3EgHE Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206333 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, SAMP-Score, senescence, senescent marker positive cancer cells, Sen-Mark+, machine learning, pro-senescence, high-throughput compound screening To learn more about the journal, please visit https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM