hey knew the pill was fake but their memory still improved

 A placebo, or fake supplement, may offer real benefits for older adults, according to new research from psychologists at the Università Cattolica in Milan. After taking placebo pills for three weeks, participants showed improvements in both physical performance and cognitive function. Surprisingly, the benefits were seen even when participants knew the pills contained no active ingredients.

The study, published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, was led by Diletta Barbiani, Alessandro Antonietti, and Francesco Pagnini. It was supported by PNRR grants through the Age-IT project.

"The study is part of an established line of research in which we analyze the role of the mind in aging processes, which is very important," says Pagnini, Full Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology of the Università Cattolica.

Testing the Placebo Effect in Healthy Aging

Until now, no research had investigated whether a traditional placebo could influence abilities that naturally decline with age.

"Our goal," Professor Pagnini explains, "was to clarify whether an open-label placebo therapy (i.e., where the recipient is aware it is a placebo) or a fake supplement (people don't know it's a placebo) could influence psychological, cognitive, and physical functions in older adults living in the community."

To explore that question, the researchers recruited 90 healthy older adults and randomly assigned them to one of three groups. One group received no treatment at all. A second group received placebo pills but was told the pills contained active ingredients designed to improve well-being and physical function. The third group received the same inactive pills but was openly informed that the pills were placebos that could still trigger beneficial mind-body responses.

Before and after the three-week study, participants completed questionnaires (providing information on levels of perceived stress, psychological well-being, sleepiness, fatigue, optimism, self-efficacy, and stereotypes about aging). They also took objective tests measuring short-term memory, selective attention, and physical performance.

Memory, Stress, and Physical Performance Improved

After three weeks, the participants who knowingly took placebo pills experienced lower stress levels than both the deceptive placebo group and the control group. They also showed significant improvements in short-term memory compared with those who received no intervention.

Overall, both placebo groups experienced gains in cognitive and physical performance, although the strongest improvements were generally seen among participants who knew they were taking a placebo.

Physical performance increased by 7% in the deceptive placebo group and by 9.2% in the open-label placebo group. Cognitive performance also improved. Depending on the specific test, scores increased by between 12.6% and 14.6% among participants who believed they were taking a real supplement, while those who knowingly took a placebo improved by between 6.9% and 21.5%.

"These are significant effects," the psychologist emphasizes, "comparable to those seen in some experimental studies on physical activity regarding physical performance and cognitive training, especially with regard to memory."

Researchers also observed reductions in drowsiness. Stress levels improved most noticeably among participants who were aware they were taking a placebo.

A New Approach to Healthy Aging?

The findings suggest that placebo treatments can improve several aspects of functioning in older adults, with open-label placebos performing as well as, or in some cases better than, deceptive placebos.

According to the researchers, this makes open-label placebos a promising and ethically acceptable strategy for supporting healthy aging.

Professor Pagnini says the results add to growing scientific evidence that the mind plays an important role in the aging process. Thoughts, emotions, and self-perception may influence not only psychological well-being but also physical abilities and cognitive function, highlighting the powerful connection between the mind and the body.

Source: ScienceDaily

Just 5 weeks of brain training may protect against dementia for 20 years

 Older adults who took part in a short program designed to sharpen how quickly they process visual information were less likely to develop dementia years later. The training, known as speed of processing training, teaches people to rapidly spot visual details on a computer screen and manage increasingly complex tasks in less time. Participants who completed five to six weeks of sessions, along with follow up booster sessions one to three years later, showed a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, up to 20 years later. The findings were published February 9 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is the first randomized clinical trial to track dementia outcomes over two decades in older adults who underwent cognitive training. The participants were part of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study. Beginning in 1998-99, researchers enrolled 2,802 adults and randomly assigned them to one of three cognitive training groups or to a control group that received no training.

The three interventions focused on memory, reasoning, or speed of processing. Those in the training groups completed up to 10 sessions lasting 60-75 minutes over five to six weeks. About half were also randomly selected to receive as many as four additional booster sessions at 11 and 35 months after the initial program.

20 Year Follow Up Results

Two decades later, researchers analyzed long term outcomes. Among participants who completed speed training and booster sessions, 105 out of 264 (40%) were diagnosed with dementia. In comparison, 239 out of 491 (49%) people in the control group developed dementia. That represents a 25% lower incidence in the speed training group with boosters. Importantly, speed training was the only intervention that showed a statistically significant difference compared to the control group.

To assess dementia diagnoses, investigators reviewed Medicare records from 2,021 participants (72% of the original study) between 1999 and 2019. The follow up group closely reflected the original study population. About three fourths were women, 70% were white, and the average age at the start was 74. Over the 20 year period, roughly three fourths of participants died (at an average age of 84).

Why Dementia Prevention Matters

Dementia involves a decline in thinking and memory severe enough to interfere with daily life and independent living. It is estimated to affect 42% of adults older than age 55 at some point in their lives and costs the United States more than $600 billion annually. Alzheimer's disease accounts for approximately 60%-80% of cases, while vascular dementia represents about 5%-10%. Other forms include Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, or mixed types.

"Seeing that boosted speed training was linked to lower dementia risk two decades later is remarkable because it suggests that a fairly modest nonpharmacological intervention can have long-term effects," says Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., the corresponding study author and director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine. "Even small delays in the onset of dementia may have a large impact on public health and help reduce rising health care costs."

Albert noted that further research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms behind these results and why memory and reasoning training did not produce the same long term associations.

How Speed Training May Protect the Brain

The new findings build on earlier ACTIVE trial results. Previous analyses showed that cognitive training improved everyday thinking skills for up to five years. After 10 years, all three training types were associated with better daily functioning. Participants who completed speed training had a 29% lower dementia incidence at the 10 year mark compared to the control group. Each booster session was tied to additional reductions in risk.

Researchers believe speed training may have been especially effective because it was adaptive. The program adjusted the level of difficulty based on each person's performance that day. Individuals who performed well progressed to more challenging tasks, while those who needed more time worked at a slower pace. In contrast, the memory and reasoning programs taught the same strategies to everyone.

Speed training also relies on implicit learning, which functions more like building a skill or habit. Memory and reasoning training depend on explicit learning, which involves consciously learning facts and techniques. Scientists know that implicit and explicit learning engage different brain systems, and this distinction may help explain why only speed training was associated with lower dementia risk in this analysis.

"Our findings provide support for the development and refinement of cognitive training interventions for older adults, particularly those that target visual processing and divided attention abilities," says site principal investigator George Rebok, Ph.D., a lifespan developmental psychologist who creates community programs for healthy aging and is a professor emeritus of mental health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "It is possible that adding this cognitive training to lifestyle change interventions may delay dementia onset, but that remains to be studied."

The authors suggest that speed training could potentially complement other healthy aging strategies that support brain connections, although more research is required to confirm this. Other behaviors linked to lower cognitive decline risk include maintaining heart health by monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and body weight, along with regular physical activity.

Source: ScienceDaily

Scientists link childhood stress to lifelong digestive issues

 A new study published in Gastroenterology suggests that stress during early life may increase the risk of digestive problems later on. Researchers found that these effects are linked to changes in both the gut and the sympathetic nervous system.

"Our research shows that these stressors can have a real impact on a child's development and may influence gut issues long-term. Understanding the mechanisms involved can help us to create more targeted treatments," said study author Kara Margolis, director of the NYU Pain Research Center and professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU College of Dentistry and pediatrics and cell biology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

How Early Stress Shapes Brain and Gut Development

Experiences such as emotional neglect and other forms of adversity can significantly influence a child's development. Studies indicate that stress during pregnancy and early childhood can affect how the brain develops and increase the risk of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

To better understand this connection, researchers at NYU College of Dentistry's Pain Research Center examined how early stress affects communication between the brain and the gut. This connection plays a key role in digestion, and disruptions can lead to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain, and motility issues (e.g., constipation or diarrhea).

"When the brain is impacted, the gut is likely also impacted -- the two systems communicate 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Margolis. "There's some data showing that early life stress may be linked to gut disorders, but we wanted to take an in-depth look at the mechanisms and how these gut-brain pathways work."

Mouse Studies Reveal Lasting Effects of Early Stress

The research team investigated early life stress using mouse models along with two large studies involving children.

In the animal study, newborn mice were separated from their mothers for several hours each day to simulate early stress. When examined months later (at the equivalent of young adulthood), these mice showed increased anxiety-like behavior, gut pain, and problems with gut movement. The type of motility issue differed by sex, with females more likely to develop diarrhea and males more likely to experience constipation.

Further experiments showed that different biological pathways appear to control different symptoms. Disrupting sympathetic nerve signaling improved motility issues but did not reduce pain. In contrast, sex hormones influenced pain but not motility. Serotonin-related pathways were involved in both pain and gut movement.

"This suggests that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to treating disorders of gut-brain interaction, and that when patients experience different symptoms, we may have to target different pathways," said Margolis.

Human Studies Confirm Link Between Stress and Digestive Disorders

The findings from animal experiments were supported by two large human studies. One study followed more than 40,000 children in Denmark from birth to age 15. About half were born to mothers who experienced untreated depression during or after pregnancy.

Children of mothers with untreated depression had a higher risk of developing digestive conditions, including nausea and vomiting, functional constipation, colic, and irritable bowel syndrome. These results build on earlier work showing that children of mothers who took antidepressants during pregnancy were more likely to be diagnosed with functional constipation.

"Digestive outcomes for children seem to be even more profound when a mother's depression is left untreated, suggesting that mothers experiencing depression should be treated during pregnancy. This may include nonmedical measures like therapy, but some pregnant women may also require medications to treat their depression," said Margolis. "This finding also reinforces our commitment to developing antidepressants that do not reach the placenta -- a focus of many of our studies right now."

A second study analyzed data from nearly 12,000 children in the US participating in the NIH-funded Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Researchers examined adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, neglect, and parental mental health challenges, and compared them with digestive symptoms at ages nine and 10. They found that any form of early stress was linked to an increase in gastrointestinal problems.

Interestingly, unlike the mouse studies, the human data showed no differences between males and females in digestive outcomes. This suggests that early stress may affect gut and gut-brain health similarly across sexes during key stages of development.

Toward More Targeted Treatments for Gut Disorders

Overall, the research indicates that early life stress can influence how the gut and brain communicate, contributing to long-term digestive issues such as pain and motility problems. The discovery that different biological pathways drive different symptoms could help guide more precise treatments for disorders of gut-brain interaction.

Source: ScienceDaily

Scientists say travel could slow aging and boost your health

 Retinol creams may get most of the attention in the fight against visible aging, but researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) have pointed to a much bigger and more adventurous possibility: travel.

In a 2024 interdisciplinary study published in the Journal of Travel Research, ECU researchers applied the theory of entropy to tourism, proposing that positive travel experiences may support physical and mental health in ways that could help slow some signs of aging. The work does not suggest that travel can stop aging, but it frames tourism as more than a break from routine. It may be a way to help the body maintain balance, resilience, and repair.

How Travel Could Influence Aging

Entropy is often described as the universe's movement toward disorder. In the context of health, the researchers suggest that experiences can either support or disrupt the body's ability to stay organized and functioning well. Positive travel experiences may help reduce that drift toward disorder, while stressful or unsafe travel may push the body in the opposite direction.

"Aging, as a process, is irreversible. While it can't be stopped, it can be slowed down," ECU PhD candidate Ms. Fangli Hu said.

According to Ms. Hu, travel may improve well being by placing people in new environments, encouraging movement, increasing social interaction, and creating positive emotions. Those same ideas already appear in areas such as wellness tourism, health tourism, and yoga tourism.

"Tourism isn't just about leisure and recreation. It could also contribute to people's physical and mental health," Ms. Hu added.

Travel Therapy and the Body's Defense Systems

Viewed through an entropy lens, travel therapy could become a meaningful health intervention, Ms. Hu said. The idea is that positive travel experiences, as part of a person's environment, may help the body maintain a healthier low entropy state by influencing four major body systems.

Travel often combines unfamiliar surroundings with relaxing experiences. New settings can stimulate the body, raise metabolic activity, and help activate self organizing processes that keep biological systems working smoothly. These experiences may also prompt the adaptive immune system, which helps the body recognize and respond to outside threats.

Ms. Hu said that this reaction improves the body's ability to perceive and defend itself against external threats.

"Put simply, the self-defense system becomes more resilient. Hormones conducive to tissue repair and regeneration may be released and promote the self-healing system's functioning."

Stress Relief, Movement, and Healthy Aging

Relaxing travel activities may also help reduce chronic stress and calm an overactive immune response. Recreation can ease tension and fatigue in the muscles and joints, supporting metabolic balance and strengthening the body's ability to resist wear and tear.

This matters because travel is rarely just sitting still. Trips often include walking through cities, hiking trails, climbing, cycling, or simply spending more time on your feet than usual. That physical activity can increase metabolism, energy use, and nutrient movement throughout the body, all of which may support the systems that keep the body repaired and resilient.

"Participating in these activities could enhance the body's immune function and self-defense capabilities, bolstering its hardiness to external risks. Physical exercise may also improve blood circulation, expedite nutrient transport, and aid waste elimination to collectively maintain an active self-healing system. Moderate exercise is beneficial to the bones, muscles, and joints in addition to supporting the body's anti-wear-and-tear system," Ms. Hu said.

A Field That Is Still Taking Shape

Since the 2024 study, related work has continued to explore travel therapy as a possible health and wellness approach. A 2025 research note by Hu and colleagues described travel therapy as an emerging approach in which positive travel experiences may promote well being, while also emphasizing the need to weigh benefits against risks.

Another 2025 paper called for closer collaboration between travel medicine and tourism, reflecting a growing interest in how vacations, health risks, preventive care, and traveler well being overlap. A 2025 systematic review also found that tourism and healthy aging is becoming an important interdisciplinary research area, but remains underexplored and in need of stronger methods and clearer future research directions.

Together, these newer findings support a careful interpretation: travel may offer real health related benefits, especially when it includes movement, social connection, novelty, and restoration, but researchers are still working to understand how strong those effects are and who benefits most.

The Risks Behind the Benefits

The same research also cautions that travel is not automatically healthy. Tourists can face infectious diseases, accidents, injuries, violence, unsafe food or water, and other risks linked to poor planning or unsuitable travel choices.

"Conversely, tourism can involve negative experiences that potentially lead to health problems, paralleling the process of promoting entropy increase. A prominent example is the public health crisis of COVID-19."

The central message is not that any trip will slow aging. Rather, positive travel experiences may help the body and mind function better by combining novelty, relaxation, physical activity, and social connection. When travel is safe, restorative, and active, it may do more than create memories. It could help support healthier aging from the inside out.

Source: ScienceDaily

Quantum mechanics once baffled scientists. Now it's changing the world

 For much of the early 20th century, quantum mechanics was one of the most puzzling ideas in science. The theory challenged conventional thinking and left even leading physicists struggling to make sense of its implications. A century later, it has become the foundation of technologies that influence daily life, including lasers, microchips, secure communications, and emerging quantum computers.

In a new perspective article published in Science, Dr. Marlan Scully of Texas A&M University reflects on the remarkable evolution of quantum mechanics, from an abstract theory about tiny particles to a powerful framework helping researchers tackle some of the most difficult questions in science.

"Quantum mechanics started as a way to explain the behavior of tiny particles," said Scully, who is also affiliated with Princeton University. "Now it's driving innovations that were unimaginable just a generation ago."

Scully has played a major role in advancing the field. He co-authored the influential textbook Quantum Optics, a resource that has educated generations of physicists. His research in coherent nanoscale laser spectroscopy helped make it possible to study molecules with atomic-scale precision. He has also developed groundbreaking concepts involving quantum heat engines, which challenge traditional assumptions about thermodynamic efficiency and may one day lead to new energy technologies.

From Schrödinger's Cat to Quantum Technology

One of the most famous illustrations of quantum mechanics came in 1935, when Erwin Schrödinger proposed his cat paradox. The thought experiment suggested that a cat could exist in a state that is both alive and dead until it is observed. Schrödinger introduced the idea to highlight how strange quantum theory appeared.

Today, those once-bizarre concepts have moved far beyond philosophical debates.

"That 'quantum weirdness' is no longer just a philosophical puzzle," said Scully. "It's the foundation of quantum computing, quantum cryptography and even gravitational wave detection."

The foundations of quantum mechanics were built by pioneers including Schrödinger and Werner Heisenberg. They developed two different mathematical approaches, wave mechanics and matrix mechanics, to describe quantum systems. Over time, these approaches were unified and contributed to the development of quantum field theory, which explains how particles interact through electromagnetic and nuclear forces.

Their work expanded on Niels Bohr's early atomic model, which pictured electrons orbiting the nucleus much like planets orbit the sun. While later discoveries refined that picture, Bohr's model helped pave the way for modern quantum theory.

Quantum Coherence and the Rise of Lasers

Among the most important concepts in quantum mechanics is quantum coherence. This phenomenon allows particles such as atoms and photons to remain linked in a coordinated state, even across significant distances.

Quantum coherence led directly to the development of the laser, a technology that many once believed could never work. Today, lasers are used throughout modern society, from supermarket barcode scanners to vision correction procedures and advanced scientific instruments.

Coherence is also closely tied to quantum entanglement, the phenomenon that prompted Albert Einstein to describe it as "spooky action at a distance."

Entanglement enables particles to share information through uniquely quantum properties. These effects form the basis of quantum encryption systems and improve the sensitivity of sophisticated instruments such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), which detects tiny ripples in spacetime.

Quantum Heat Engines Challenge Classical Limits

One of the more surprising applications of quantum physics involves quantum heat engines.

Traditional engines are constrained by the Carnot Limit, which defines the maximum efficiency allowed by classical thermodynamics. Researchers have found that by exploiting quantum coherence, it may be possible to create engines that exceed those classical limits.

"It's a striking example of how quantum principles can rewrite the rules of classical physics," Scully said.

Quantum Biology, Gravity, and Turbulence

The influence of quantum mechanics now extends far beyond physics.

In biology, techniques such as coherent Raman spectroscopy allow researchers to examine viruses and other structures at the nanoscale, providing valuable insights into the microscopic world.

Quantum ideas are also shaping efforts to understand the universe itself. Scientists working on concepts such as string theory and quantum gravity are attempting to reconcile quantum mechanics with Einstein's theory of relativity, one of the biggest unsolved problems in modern physics.

Researchers are even applying quantum concepts to the long-standing challenge of understanding turbulence. The chaotic motion of air and fluids affects weather patterns, climate systems, and aircraft performance. By studying superfluid helium, a substance that displays unusual quantum behavior, scientists are uncovering patterns that could improve climate modeling, storm prediction, and aviation safety.

The Next Century of Quantum Discovery

Despite a century of success, quantum mechanics continues to raise profound questions.

Can gravity be quantized (i.e., does gravity behave like other forces at the quantum level)? Could quantum computers transform medicine and materials science? What new insights about the universe might emerge from future quantum technologies?

Scully believes the search for answers is only beginning.

"At the start of the 20th century, many thought physics was complete," he said. "Now, in the 21st century, we know the adventure is just beginning."

Five Ways Quantum Mechanics Affects Everyday Life

1. Lasers From grocery store scanners to eye surgery, lasers depend on quantum principles that amplify light.
2. Secure communication Quantum cryptography can create highly secure codes that help protect sensitive information.
3. Faster computing Quantum computers have the potential to solve certain problems in seconds that could take classical computers thousands of years.
4. Better measurements Gravitational wave observatories use quantum techniques such as "squeezed light" to detect tiny distortions in spacetime and reveal new details about the universe.
5. Medical breakthroughs Quantum imaging methods help scientists study viruses, molecules, and other biological structures at the atomic scale.

Source: ScienceDaily

Ancient bees turned tooth sockets into tiny nurseries 20,000 years ago

 Around 20,000 years ago, a cave was home to generations of owls that regularly coughed up pellets containing the bones of their prey. Those discarded bones later became an unexpected resource for another group of animals. According to a new study published in Royal Society Open Science, ancient bees used the empty tooth sockets in the fossilized jaws as tiny nests for their offspring.

The discovery marks the first known evidence that bees used animal bones as places to lay their eggs, revealing an unusual nesting strategy that had never been documented before.

Fossil Rich Cave Preserved an Ancient Ecosystem

The Caribbean island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, contains thousands of limestone caves.

"In some areas, you'll find a different sinkhole every 100 meters," says Lazaro Viñola López, a postdoctoral researcher at the Field Museum in Chicago and the study's lead author.

The cave examined in this study had previously been identified by Juan Almonte Milan, curator of paleobiology at the Dominican Republic's Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, as an exceptionally rich fossil deposit. Viñola López and colleagues explored the site while he was completing his PhD research at the University of Florida and the Florida Museum of Natural History.

"The initial descent into the cave isn't too deep -- we would tie a rope to the side and then rappel down," says Viñola López. "If you go in at night, you see the eyes of the tarantulas that live inside. But once you walk down a ten-meter-long tunnel underground, you start finding the fossils."

The cave preserved multiple fossil layers separated by carbonate deposits that formed during ancient rainy periods. Most of the remains belonged to rodents, but researchers also recovered fossils from sloths, birds, reptiles, and many other animals, representing more than 50 species.

Together, the fossils revealed how the cave was used over a long period of time.

"We think that this was a cave where owls lived for many generations, maybe for hundreds or thousands of years," says Viñola López. "The owls would go out and hunt, and then come back to the cave and throw up pellets. We find fossils of the animals that they ate, fossils from the owls themselves, and even some turtles and crocodiles who might have fallen into the cave."

An Unusual Discovery Inside Tooth Sockets

Viñola López was mainly studying the mammal bones left behind by the owls when he noticed something unusual while cleaning the fossils.

Several jawbones contained smooth deposits inside their empty tooth sockets that looked different from naturally accumulated sediment.

"It was a smooth surface, and almost concave. That's not how sediment normally fills in, and I kept seeing it in multiple specimens. I was like, 'Okay, there's something weird here,'" he says. "It reminded me of the wasp nest."

The observation immediately reminded him of an earlier experience during an undergraduate fossil excavation in Montana. There, another paleontologist had shown him fossilized wasp cocoons, which are small mud chambers where developing larvae mature into adults. The structures closely resembled what he was seeing inside the fossil jaws.

Ancient Bee Nests Hidden in Bones

Although honey bees and paper wasps are well known for building large communal nests, most bee species actually live alone.

"But actually, most bees are solitary. They lay their eggs in small cavities, and they leave pollen for the larvae to eat," says Viñola López. "Some bee species burrow holes in wood or in the ground, or use empty structures for nests. Some species in Europe and Africa even build their nests in empty snail shells,"

To investigate further, the research team CT scanned the fossil bones. The scans produced detailed three dimensional images of the compacted material inside the tooth sockets without damaging either the fossils or the sediment.

The scans showed that the structures matched the mud nests built by some modern solitary bees. Some nests even preserved grains of ancient pollen that mother bees had stored as food for their developing offspring.

The researchers believe the bees mixed dirt with saliva to construct each tiny nest, which measured less than the size of a pencil eraser. Nesting inside the hollow bones of larger animals may also have helped shield their eggs from predators such as wasps.

A New Type of Fossil Nest

The nests contained no fossilized bees, which the researchers say is not surprising because the cave's warm, humid conditions are poor for preserving delicate insect bodies.

Without preserved bees, the scientists could not determine exactly which species built the nests. However, the nest structures themselves were distinct enough to receive their own taxonomic classification.

The fossil nests were named Osnidum almontei in honor of Juan Almonte Milan, who first identified the cave and has spent decades studying the region as one of Hispaniola's leading paleontologists.

"Since we didn't find any of the bees' bodies, it's possible that they belonged to a species that's still alive today -- there's very little known about the ecology of many of the bees on these islands," says Viñola López. "But we know that a lot of the animals whose bones are preserved in the cave are now extinct, so the bees that created these nests might be from a species that has died out."

The First Known Example of Bees Nesting in Bones

According to the researchers, this is the first documented case of bees using animal bones as nesting sites.

Viñola López believes several environmental factors likely made this behavior possible. The limestone landscape in the region has very little soil, making traditional underground nesting sites scarce. At the same time, generations of owls continually deposited bones throughout the cave, providing countless hollow tooth sockets that solitary bees could use.

"This discovery shows how weird bees can be -- they can surprise you. But it also shows that when you're looking at fossils, you have to be very careful," says Viñola López.

He notes that without his previous experience recognizing fossilized wasp nests, he might have simply cleaned away the unusual sediment during fossil preparation.

"Even if you're looking primarily for fossils of larger, vertebrate animals, you should keep an eye out for trace fossils that can tell you about invertebrates like insects. Knowing about insects can tell you a lot about a whole ecosystem, so you have to pay attention to that part of the story."

Source: ScienceDaily

Scientists may have finally found how Alzheimer's kills brain cells

 Scientists have identified evidence of a previously unknown process that may explain how brain cells die in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The discovery, centered on a mechanism known as karyoptosis, could point researchers toward new ways to slow the progression of these devastating conditions.

Many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease, and FTD, are marked by the buildup of harmful proteins inside neurons. Over time, these nerve cells die, contributing to memory loss and other symptoms. Although scientists have long known about several forms of cell death, including apoptosis, those mechanisms have never fully explained the extensive neuron loss seen in these disorders.

Now, researchers from King's College London, working with the UK Dementia Research Institute and supported in part by Alzheimer's Research UK, have identified karyoptosis as a potential missing link connecting toxic protein accumulation to the death of brain cells.

Karyoptosis refers to a series of chemical reactions set in motion when toxic proteins accumulate inside a cell. As the process unfolds, the cell's nucleus, which contains its genetic material, gradually shrivels before ultimately breaking apart.

Evidence Found in Alzheimer's and FTD Brains

The findings, published in Nature Communications, are based on an analysis of 3,000 brain cells collected from 28 people with either FTD or end stage Alzheimer's disease. Using computational algorithms, the researchers identified different forms of cell death occurring within the tissue.

They found signs of karyoptosis in 35 percent of cells from the frontal cortex of people with Alzheimer's disease, compared with just 15 percent of cells from healthy older adults.

"This study is the culmination of a 10-year journey at King's, from when we first identified karyoptosis in a relatively rare disease to discovering that it is a common feature of dementias which affect millions of people."

A Possible New Target for Dementia Treatments

The researchers also uncovered a key molecular pathway that appears to control karyoptosis. They found that forcing proteins inside neurons to clump together, a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, can trigger this destructive process.

According to the study, the buildup of toxic proteins destabilizes the outer membrane of the nucleus, causing it to shrink and eventually disintegrate.

The team then investigated proteins known as kinases, which act as molecular switches in this pathway. In laboratory experiments using rat neurons, blocking these switches reduced markers associated with karyoptosis. In particular, the interaction between the kinase p38 MAP kinase and the protein LaminB1 emerged as a promising target for slowing or preventing the breakdown of the nucleus.

The researchers believe this pathway could eventually lead to therapies that reduce brain cell loss in dementia. Their next goal is to develop ways to selectively target the interaction between p38 MAP kinase and LaminB1 in humans.

"By specifically targeting the interaction between p38 MAP kinase and LaminB1 we may slow down the process of cell death, buying time for more pinpointed therapies against specific neurodegenerative diseases," said Dr. Manolis Fanto, Reader in Functional Genomics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London.

Building a Road Map for Future Therapies

"The death and loss of cells in the brain drives many symptoms experienced by people living with dementia. Our study uncovers a new series of chemical events which can coordinate cell death in brain cells. We have started to lay out the road map of how karyoptosis works, and I'm excited to see future breakthroughs this may drive in the dementia research community and beyond," said Dr. Rebecca Casterton, Senior Researcher at the UK Dementia Research Institute at King's and first author on the paper.

"For decades, we've known that toxic proteins build up in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, but exactly how they lead to the loss of brain cells has remained unclear.

"The identification of karyoptosis is a crucial step towards finding targets for treatments that could stop or slow cell loss. It could help widen the window for therapies that tackle the underlying causes of disease, bringing us closer to a cure for dementia. This is why Alzheimer's Research UK funds and supports research," said Dr. Sara Rodrigues, Senior Research Manager at Alzheimer's Research UK.

The study, "Karyoptosis mediates cell death and neurodegeneration upon proteotoxic stress," was published in Nature Communications.

The research was primarily funded by Alzheimer's Research UK and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council International Partnership. Additional support came from a studentship provided by the UK Medical Research Council and the UK Dementia Research Institute.

Source: ScienceDaily