The ageing brain: Changes in gene activity detected in different cell types

Findings could provide starting points for slowing down the ageing process and delaying neurodegenerative diseases

10-Sep-2024 - Ageing is a complex biological process that also takes place in the brain. Researchers have discovered that the gene activity changes in different cell types in the brain. A certain type of neuron is particularly affected. In the long term, the findings could provide starting points for slowing ...

Location, location, location - Liver cells age differently depending on where they are in the organ

13-Nov-2023 - Looking around us, we can see that people age at different rates. But what about inside? Do all cells age in the same way? And does the location of a cell in the organ make a difference to the ageing process? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne and CECAD ...

Do women age differently from men?

The biological sex may be a decisive factor in the effectiveness of anti-ageing drugs

06-Dec-2022 - Studies on fruit flies show how biological sex influences the effect of rapamycin, the currently most promising anti-ageing drug. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne and University College London report in Nature Aging that the drug only extends the lifespan ...

A building block for liver fitness in old age

Researchers discover cellular protection against epigenetic changes

14-Sep-2022 - The liver can regenerate even in old age and remains surprisingly fit, even though the chromatin in its cells undergoes major remodeling due to epigenetic changes, as researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne have now discovered. One possible reason why the ...

Why do we age?

Mathematical modelers are on the trail of the theory behind the evolution of aging

08-Feb-2022 - The evolution of aging is a particularly exciting field in theoretical evolutionary research. Scientists are trying to figure out why and when the phenomenon of aging developed over the course of evolution. Mathematical models can help to develop theories for a better understanding of aging. At ...

A well-known anti-ageing compound with a new target

Researchers discover an unexpected link between DNA winding and metabolism in the gut to ameliorate ageing

10-Jun-2021 - Our genetic material is stored in our cells in a specific way to make the meter-long DNA molecule fit into the tiny cell nucleus of each body cell. An international team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, the CECAD Cluster of Excellence in Ageing research at the ...

Cellular aging is linked to structural changes in the brain

Telomeres on human chromosomes change together with brain structure

27-Sep-2019 - Telomeres are the protective caps of our chromosomes and play a central role in the ageing process. Shorter telomeres are associated with chronic diseases and high stress levels can contribute to their shortening. A new study now shows that if telomeres change in their length, that change is also ...