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What Is New in Longevity Research in May 2024?

What’s the latest in the area of the science of longevity? In this month’s longevity newsletter, we cover the latest anti aging news, along with details about various anti aging human trials, new longevity technology and longevity science supplements as well as how to increase healthspan.

Slowing Ovarian Aging with Stem Cells

A new study has found that cells from fat are more effective than cells from the umbilical cords in treating ovarian aging.

Since contemporary life is resulting in women having children at a later age, the number of women with fertility issues is increasing.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), cells from tissue like the umbilical cord, umbilical cord blood, placenta, fat tissue and bone marrow have previously been tested as a treatment for human ovaries.

This study specifically used cells from fat tissue and from a full-term umbilical cord, showing improved ovarian functioning, specifically from the adipose (fat) tissue.

The results suggest that MSCs hold great potential for human clinical trials.

Night Exercise Rather than Morning Exercise for Longevity

In human longevity news, a study has found that medium to intense aerobic physical activity benefits obese and diabetic individuals the most in the evening, rather than in the morning.

While studies show that any exercise is beneficial, many studies have now shown that exercise in the afternoon and evening brings greater health benefits.

In fact, it was found that evening exercisers were almost three times less likely to die than non-exercisers, with those who exercised in the morning and afternoon showing less of a reduction in mortality.

It was also found that people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease benefited from evening exercises more, with no statistically significant association found for morning exercisers.

NMN and NR Reverse Ovarian Aging

A study has found that the NAD+ precursors, NMN and NR, can reverse ovarian aging in rats due to sirtuins and mitochondrial changes.

The results found that NMN and NR treatments showed an increase in ovarian weight, increased amounts of corpus luteum (a structure that forms in the ovary after ovulation that releases progesterone needed for pregnancy), increased antral follicles (ovary sacs containing immature eggs that are preparing for ovulation) and helped balance hormones needed for reproduction.

NMN and NR also helped mitochondrial genes in middle-aged rats, bringing them closer to levels seen in young rats, and also increased SIRT1 levels in the ovaries, thought to help delay ovarian aging.

Stem Cells May Reduce Frailty

In more longevity science news, a study found that giving older people mesenchymal stem cells from the umbilical cord can reduce frailty.

Stem cell exhaustion, responsible for many problems associated with aging, such as a weakened immune system and frailty, has been suggested to be treated with replacement stem cells.

While stem cells have been successfully clinically tested against heart failure, arthritis and fighting inflammation, this study tested against frailty symptoms such as grip strength, walking speed and the ability to stand up and sit back down.

It was found that physical performance and quality of life improved due to the stem cells, with further, large-scale studies now needed to repeat the results.

Killing Off Dying Cells

Scientists are currently using various new molecules, engineered immune cells and gene therapy to kill senescent ‘zombie’ cells and to treat age-related diseases.

When a cell no longer divides and does as it’s meant to, it can resist death and instead, give off signals that can increase frailty, weaken the immune system and slow cognition.

As these increase with age, scientists have been looking into how to destroy these cells, with about 20 clinical trials currently ongoing in this field of senolytics.

Some current successes include how dasatinib and quercetin have been found to kill off senescent cells in aged mice, how fisetin has shown signs of clearing senescent cells and reducing inflammation, and how a drug called foselutoclax has been designed to kill off senescent cells in blood vessels supplying the retina.

New research results around quercetin and dasatinib will be released in 2025.

Loneliness and Brain Health

Research shows that loneliness can raise the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, other types of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

It’s thought that the feeling of loneliness came about as a type of stress signal to force humans to seek companionship, with small episodes of loneliness motivating people to find social connection — chronic loneliness, however, backfiring on the brain.

In the brain, chronic loneliness is linked to changes in areas needed for social function, processing emotions and self-awareness.

The stress and inflammation caused by loneliness is also thought to contribute to the development or acceleration of neurodegenerative diseases in older adults, taking a toll on the cardiovascular system, blood pressure and heart rate, too.

To help prevent chronic loneliness in old age, try to make new friends by attending hobby classes and by shifting attitudes and thought patterns surrounding social interactions.

End Note

Interested in more news and updates about successful ageing? Read our previous months’ newsletters full of longevity research news, longevity studies and natural ageing techniques. Head there here: January, February, March and April.