Key Findings:

AI-powered Aging Clock: The new proteomic clock predicts biological age with high accuracy (R²=0.84, MAE=2.68 years) and captures accelerated aging signatures in severe lung disease cases—patients with severe COVID-19 (and likely fibrosis) exhibited biological ages nearly three years older than healthy controls.

Distinct Molecular Signatures: Analysis with the ipf-P3GPT generative model revealed both shared and unique gene expression patterns between aging lungs and fibrotic disease, highlighting that IPF is not just accelerated aging but entails unique pathological processes.

Pathway-Level Insights: The study identified four key pathways (TGF-ß signaling, oxidative stress, inflammation, ECM remodeling) as central to both IPF and aging, but involved differently at the gene level.

Saliva is more than spit. It helps with chewing and swallowing, protects teeth and gums, and even has antimicrobial and digestive properties. However, certain conditions or medical treatments, such as hemodialysis, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, reduce natural saliva production. Now, researchers publishing in ACS Applied Polymer Materials have created a reusable hydrogel that releases artificial saliva over time, which could help provide sustained relief from dry mouth.

Vascular aging is a silent but powerful driver of many age-related diseases, from heart attacks to dementia. Over time, our arteries lose elasticity, accumulate damage, and struggle to deliver oxygen and nutrients where they are needed most. This review reveals how a network of biological processes—endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and cellular senescence—converge to weaken blood vessels. By mapping the key biomarkers that flag early vascular decline and exploring strategies to counteract it, the findings offer a blueprint for interventions that could slow, halt, or even reverse this decline. Such advances may help extend not just lifespan, but the number of years lived in good health.

For decades, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research has focused on its visible villains—amyloid plaques and tau tangles. But beneath the surface, another player may be quietly steering the disease’s course: lipid metabolism. Lipids, the essential substances that build and fuel the brain, are proving to be powerful influencers of disease progression. When their balance falters, harmful proteins accumulate, synapses weaken, and inflammation spreads. This new review pulls together cutting-edge findings that link genetic risk factors, like APOE4, to disrupted cholesterol transport, faulty fat storage, and poor lipid clearance—unveiling a hidden layer of AD biology and pointing toward untapped therapeutic strategies.

The three-year project is designed to improve monitoring contamination in Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s largest freshwater reservoir. The research focuses on how sunlight transforms common pollutants like pesticides and pharmaceuticals into potentially more toxic byproducts. Using innovative sampling and chemical analysis techniques, the team aims to track these changes in real-time, filling a critical gap in current monitoring methods. This work will enhance understanding of contaminant behavior, protecting both ecosystem and human health.