The British physicist also praised a truly inspired footnote in this preprint paper.
Previous research by the investigators showed that eliminating senescent cells with drugs called senolytics improved metabolic function, the body’s method for turning food and drink into energy.
In the current study, investigators focused on senescent blood vessel cells. They selectively removed these cells from obese laboratory mice and found that the animals’ inflammation and fat mass were reduced—and blood sugar levels improved.
When the investigators transplanted senescent blood vessel cells into lean laboratory mice, those mice developed inflammation in fat tissue and metabolic dysfunction.
The lead said this occurred because senescent blood vessel cells release high levels of inflammatory molecules.
The investigators next treated both groups of mice with fisetin, a naturally occurring senolytic compound, and found that the mice had fewer senescent blood vessel cells and improved diabetic symptoms. Investigators saw a similar decline in senescent blood vessel cells when they treated tissue samples from obese human patients with fisetin.
Investigators found that aged blood vessel cells play a key role in the development of metabolic disorders, including diabetes. The preclinical findings, published in Cell Metabolism, could lead to new treatments for these complex disorders.
A new pill for treating dementia is delivering promising “topline” results in early-stage clinical trials, according to a recent press release by its makers.
The treatment, called VES001 after its developer Vesper Bio, is designed to tackle frontotemporal dementia (FTD) – the most common type of dementia in the under-60s.
In a two-part preliminary safety trial at two medical centres in the Netherlands and the UK, VES001 was given to people showing no signs of FTD, including six volunteers with an increased genetic risk for the condition.
#homelandsecurity #innovation
Having been involved in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate, and with decades of experience working at the intersection of government, industry, and academia, I have come to a simple but important observation: innovation in homeland security doesn’t happen in one area. Instead, it thrives where mission, research, and engineering come together.
Convergence is the catalyst. Cyber defense, autonomous systems, identity management, quantum computing, and photonics are all examples of technological advancements that didn’t develop in isolation. Their progress was the result of different sectors working together on shared goals, risk management, and practical use. Homeland security enterprise is constituted by a multi-sectoral nature: government sets mission needs, industry creates scalable solutions, and academia provides the necessary research. Real innovation happens when these areas come together.
Statistical data highlights the significance of this alignment. Research on cyber-behavior, for instance, demonstrates that organizational culture, national context, and employee backgrounds significantly impact risk outcomes. Practically speaking, this implies that secure systems cannot be developed in isolation. The human and institutional context is as crucial as technical advancements.
DeepMind’s chief says he envisions Gemini as an operating system for physical robots. The company has hired Aaron Saunders to help make that a reality.