How Fast Is Your Immune System Aging? Scientists Just Built a Clock To Find Out

 

The HZI team has developed an AI-powered computer model that, for the first time, reveals the aging process at the cellular level.

As we age, our immune system ages as well. We become more susceptible to infections, vaccinations become less effective, and the risk of developing immune-related disorders such as autoimmune diseases increases.

“In order to better understand how and where exactly the immune system changes with age and which factors trigger or accelerate aging processes, we need to focus on the players of our immune system – the immune cells,” says Prof. Yang Li, head of the department “Computation Biology for Individualised Medicine” and Director of the CiiM.

Yang Li’s team set out to answer a key research question: How does aging affect different types of immune cells? To explore this, the researchers analyzed thousands of transcriptome datasets—records of all active genes in a cell at a given time—for five distinct immune cell types. These datasets were compiled from publicly available sources and scientific literature.

In total, the team examined data from more than two million individual immune cells, collected from blood samples of approximately 1,000 healthy individuals ranging in age from 18 to 97. Using this extensive dataset, they developed a machine learning model to track cellular aging. The result was a computational tool they named the Single-Cell Immune Aging Clock, designed to map how immune cells change over time.

Discovering Aging Markers

“We were able to identify specific genes for each type of immune cell that are involved in important immunological processes and whose activity changes during the aging process. These serve as marker genes for the respective immune cell type and as a reference in the subsequent application of the model,” explains Yang Li. “Incidentally, the genes we identified play a decisive role in the development of inflammatory processes. It is well known that aging processes are particularly associated with inflammatory processes. We were able to confirm this once again with our study.”

Case Study: COVID-19 and Immune Aging

The research team then applied the aging clock in two case studies using patient data. They wanted to find out how a COVID-19 infection or a tuberculosis vaccination affects the aging processes within the different immune cell types. In COVID-19 patients, aging processes were only evident in one type of immune cell, the so-called monocytes. However, in people with a mild course of the disease, aging was significantly less pronounced. “Our results suggest that severe infections can cause our immune cells to age more quickly,” says Yang Li. “But – and this is good news – these changes seem to be reversible: After about three weeks, as COVID-19 patients slowly recover, the monocytes start to return to their original age profile.”

Case Study: Tuberculosis Vaccination and Immune Rejuvenation

In the second case study, the researchers used the aging clock to look at the age of different immune cell types in people who had been vaccinated against tuberculosis. Here, the team discovered an interesting correlation: The vaccination had very different effects within one immune cell type, the so-called CD8 T cells, depending on how much inflammation was going on in the body. However, in people with high levels of inflammation, the vaccination had a rejuvenating effect on the immune cells.

“The Single-Cell Immune Aging Clock opens up incredibly exciting insights into cellular aging processes within different immune cell types for the first time,” says Yang Li. “It is a powerful tool that could be used in the future to uncover further dynamics of immune aging, to better understand the effects of infections and vaccinations and to develop new approaches for therapies and preventive measures that promote healthy aging.”

website: popularscientist.com

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New Organic Solar Cells Set Efficiency World Record

 

A research team from Nuremberg and Erlangen has set a new record for the power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic modules (OPV). The scientists from Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE), and the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN), a branch of Forschungszentrum Jülich, in cooperation with the South China University of Technology (SCUT), designed an OPV module with an efficiency of 12.6 percent over an area of 26 square centimeters (4 square inches). The former world record of 9.7 percent was exceeded by 30 percent.

This is the highest efficiency value ever reported for an organic photovoltaic module. It was confirmed by a certified calibrated measurement under standard testing conditions by the independent certification laboratory of Fraunhofer ISE (Freiburg) in September 2019. The multi-cell module was developed at the Solar Factory of the Future at the Energie Campus Nürnberg (EnCN) in a coating laboratory with a unique megawatt pilot line for thin-film photovoltaics, which was designed and implemented with financial support by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs.

A new record has been set for the power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic modules (OPV), exceeding the former world record of 9.7 percent by 30 percent.

“This breakthrough shows that Bavaria is not only a leader in the advancement of photovoltaic installations, but also occupies a leading position in the development of future technologies,” emphasizes Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian State Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.

Organic solar cells usually consist of two different organic components, possessing the necessary semiconductor properties. In contrast to conventionally used silicon, which is manufactured by energy-intensive melting processes, organic materials can be applied directly from solutions onto a carrier film or glass carrier.

On the one hand, this reduces manufacturing costs, on the other hand, the use of flexible, lightweight materials allows for new applications, such as mobile devices or clothing, even if the efficiency is not yet comparable to that of traditional silicon solar cells.

The record module consists of twelve serially connected cells and has a geometric fill factor of over 95 percent. The minimization of inactive areas was achieved through high-resolution laser structuring, as developed and optimized in recent years at the “Solar Factory of the Future.”

“This milestone in organic semiconductor research shows that the latest performance developments with certified cell efficiencies of over 16 percent are not limited to the laboratory scale, but ready to be scaled up to the level of prototype modules,” explains Prof. Christoph Brabec from FAU, director at HI ERN, and scientific director of the Solar Factory of the Future, a research group of ZAE Bayern.

Due to their design, the efficiency of complete photovoltaic modules is always slightly lower than that of individual cells. A part of the module area, for example, is always inactive since it is used for the interconnection of the individual cells. With an increasing module area, the losses caused by the electrodes’ electrical resistance increase as well.

The record module consists of twelve serially connected cells and has a geometric fill factor of over 95 percent. This part of the module area actively contributes to the power generation. With respect to its active area, the module even achieves an efficiency of 13.2 percent. The minimization of inactive areas was achieved through high-resolution laser structuring, as developed and optimized in recent years at the “Solar Factory of the Future.” 

website: popularscientist.com

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NASA Reveals 5 Million Images of Gravity Waves Rippling Through Earth’s Sky

 

NASA’s AWE mission just released millions of gravity wave images from space, unveiling atmospheric forces that ripple through the sky and affect our tech on Earth. It’s a whole new window into space weather.

After completing its 3,000^th orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) has released its first set of scientific data. This milestone marks a major step in studying how subtle changes in Earth’s upper atmosphere can lead to disturbances, and how those disturbances can affect technologies like satellites, communications systems, and GPS on Earth and in space.

“We’ve released the first 3,000 orbits of data collected by the AWE instrument in space and transmitted back to Earth,” said Ludger Scherliess, principal investigator for the mission and physics professor at Utah State University. “This is a view of atmospheric gravity waves never captured before.”

Five Million Images, Now Publicly Available

Now available online, the dataset includes over five million images of nighttime airglow and atmospheric gravity waves, captured by AWE’s four onboard cameras. It also contains processed data showing temperature patterns and airglow intensity, offering insight into the surrounding air and the movement of the waves.

“AWE is providing incredible images and data to further understand what we only first observed less than a decade ago,” said Esayas Shume, AWE program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We are thrilled to share this influential data set with the larger scientific community and look forward to what will be discovered.”

Mapping Waves Across the Globe

Atmospheric gravity waves are naturally occurring features of Earth’s atmosphere, shaped by weather systems and the planet’s terrain. While scientists have studied these waves for years, observations have typically been limited to a few ground-based locations. AWE now enables a much broader, space-based perspective.

“With data from AWE, we can now begin near-global measurements and studies of the waves and their energy and momentum on scales from tens to hundreds and even thousands of kilometers,” Scherliess said. “This opens a whole new chapter in this field of research.”

Data from AWE will also provide insight into how terrestrial and space weather interactions affect satellite communications, navigation, and tracking.

“We’ve become very dependent on satellites for applications we use every day, including GPS navigation,” Scherliess said. “AWE is an attempt to bring science about atmospheric gravity waves into focus, and to use that information to better predict space weather that can disrupt satellite communications. We will work closely with our collaborators to better understand how these observed gravity waves impact space weather.”

The Advanced Mapper Behind the Mission

The tuba-shaped AWE instrument, known as the Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper or AMTM, consists of four identical telescopes. It is mounted to the exterior of the International Space Station, where it has a view of Earth.

As the space station orbits Earth, the AMTM’s telescopes capture 7,000-mile-long swaths of the planet’s surface, recording images of atmospheric gravity waves as they move from the lower atmosphere into space. The AMTM measures and records the brightness of light at specific wavelengths, which can be used to create air and wave temperature maps. These maps can reveal the energy of these waves and how they are moving through the atmosphere.

Overcoming the Challenges of Space Imaging

To analyze the data and make it publicly available, AWE researchers and students at USU developed new software to tackle challenges that had never been encountered before.

“Reflections from clouds and the ground can obscure some of the images, and we want to make sure the data provide clear, precise images of the power transported by the waves,” Scherliess said. “We also need to make sure the images coming from the four separate AWE telescopes on the mapper are aligned correctly. Further, we need to ensure stray light reflections coming off the solar panels of the space station, along with moonlight and city lights, are not masking the observations.”

Toward a Global, Seasonal Understanding

As the scientists move forward with the mission, they’ll investigate how gravity wave activity changes with seasons around the globe. Scherliess looks forward to seeing how the global science community will use the AWE observations.

“Data collected through this mission provides unprecedented insight into the role of weather on the ground on space weather,” he said.

AWE is led by Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and it is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory built the AWE instrument and provides the mission operations center.

website: popularscientist.com

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Scientists Uncover 4 Foods That Might Actually Turn Down Tinnitus

 

An intriguing new study suggests that increasing your intake of fruits, dietary fiber, dairy, and caffeine could help mitigate tinnitus symptoms.

Researchers speculate that these benefits might stem from the diets’ protective effects on blood vessels and nerves, coupled with their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the evidence is preliminary, and further studies are needed to verify the relationship.

Tinnitus and Dietary Influences

Increased consumption of fruit, dietary fiber, dairy products, and caffeine may be associated with a reduced risk of tinnitus (ringing in the ears), suggests an analysis of the available evidence, published in the open access journal BMJ Open.

The researchers stress that their findings can’t establish a direct (causal) relationship and should be interpreted with care because of the low quality of the evidence. But they say possible reasons may involve the protective effects of these diets on blood vessels and nerves, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Understanding Tinnitus and Its Global Impact

Tinnitus is the perception of sound (ringing, buzzing, or clicking) when there’s no external source. Data suggests it affects around 14% of adults worldwide and is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and in severe cases, suicide.

There is no cure, but treatments such as counseling, behavioral therapy, medications, and hearing aids can help to reduce symptoms.

Research Methodology and Key Findings

Diet can also have a significant impact on tinnitus. It’s thought that eating high-quality nutrients can have a positive effect on hearing by improving blood flow to the inner ear and reducing oxidative damage and inflammation. But previous studies show conflicting results and it’s still uncertain which specific foods worsen or relieve symptoms.

To explore this further, the researchers trawled research databases looking for studies linking tinnitus and diet in adults published up to May 2024.

They found eight observational studies involving 301,533 people that assessed 15 dietary factors using validated questionnaires that were of suitable quality to include in their analysis.

Analysis and Implications of Dietary Factors on Tinnitus

The dietary factors included carbohydrates, caffeine, eggs, fruits, fibers, fat, meat, protein, sugar, fish, vegetables and dairy.

The combined findings revealed that increased consumption of fruit, dietary fiber, dairy products, and caffeine was associated with a reduced occurrence of tinnitus. These reductions were 35% for fruit intake, 9% for dietary fiber, 17% for dairy products, and 10% for caffeine intake.

No associations were found between other dietary factors and tinnitus and results were consistent after further analyses, although the authors note that the association between caffeine intake and tinnitus remains contentious.

The authors acknowledge that due to the observational design of included studies, causality cannot be established, and the relatively small number of included studies may have led to certain conventionally accepted beneficial dietary factors (such as vegetables and eggs) not demonstrating significant differences.

However, they suggest that “the primary underlying mechanisms may involve the protective effects of these diets on blood vessels and nerves, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties” and say further large-scale studies are needed “to complement and verify the relationship between dietary intake and tinnitus.”

website: popularscientist.com

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New Research Uncovers Alarming Heart Risks for Marijuana Users

 

Recent research suggests a significant correlation between marijuana use and increased heart attack risks, particularly among younger adults.

Recent research suggests a significant correlation between marijuana use and increased heart attack risks, particularly among younger adults. Two large-scale studies, including a meta-analysis of over 75 million people, reveal that cannabis users under 50 could face a six times higher risk of heart attack compared to non-users.

Marijuana and Heart Health: New Studies Highlight Risks

Marijuana is now legal in many places, but is it truly safe? Two new studies add to growing evidence that cannabis users face a higher risk of heart attacks, even among young and otherwise healthy individuals. The findings come from a large-scale retrospective study of over 4.6 million people published on March 18 in JACC Advances and a meta-analysis of 12 previously published studies being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).

As marijuana use continues to rise across the United States, particularly in states where it is legal for recreational use, researchers are uncovering potential health concerns. The retrospective study found that cannabis users under 50 were more than six times as likely to experience a heart attack compared to non-users. Meanwhile, the meta-analysis, the largest pooled study on this topic to date, found that marijuana use was associated with a 50% higher risk of heart attacks.

Clinical Insights and Recommendations

“Asking about cannabis use should be part of clinicians’ workup to understand patients’ overall cardiovascular risk, similar to asking about smoking cigarettes,” said Ibrahim Kamel, MD, clinical instructor at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and internal medicine resident at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston and the study’s lead author. “At a policy level, a fair warning should be made so that the people who are consuming cannabis know that there are risks.”

Extensive Research Findings

Kamel and his team conducted the retrospective study using data from TriNetX, a global health research network that provides access to electronic medical records. Their findings indicate that over an average follow-up of over three years, cannabis users had more than a sixfold increased risk of heart attack, fourfold increased risk of ischemic stroke, twofold increased risk of heart failure, and threefold increased risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, or stroke.

All study participants were younger than age 50 and free of significant cardiovascular comorbidities at baseline, with blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels within a healthy range and no diabetes, tobacco use, or prior coronary artery disease.

Meta-Analysis: Broadening the Understanding of Cannabis Impact

For the meta-analysis, the researchers pooled data from 12 previously published research studies that collectively included over 75 million people. The studies were rated as being of moderate to good quality in terms of methodology. Of the 12 studies, 10 were conducted in the United States, one in Canada, and one in India. Some of the studies did not include information about participants’ ages, but the average age was 41 years among those that did, suggesting that the pooled sample reflected a relatively young population.

Taken individually, seven of the studies found a significant positive association between cannabis use and heart attack incidence, while four showed no significant difference and one showed a slightly negative association. When the researchers pooled the data from all studies and analyzed it together, they found a significant positive association, with active cannabis users being 1.5 times as likely to suffer a heart attack compared with those who aren’t current users.

The Ongoing Debate: Interpreting Cannabis Studies with Caution

Cannabis use and heart attack incidence were assessed in a similar manner across the different studies. However, due to inconsistencies in the data available from each study, researchers were unable to account for several potential confounding factors including the duration and amount of cannabis use or the use of tobacco or other drugs.

“We should have some caution in interpreting the findings in that cannabis consumption is usually associated with other substances such as cocaine or other illicit drugs that are not accounted for,” Kamel said. “Patients should be forthcoming with their doctors and remember that we are their number one advocate and having the full story matters.”

Mechanisms and Limitations: Unpacking the Potential Cardiovascular Effects of Cannabis

While the mechanisms through which marijuana or its components may impact the cardiovascular system are not fully understood, the researchers hypothesize that it can affect heart rhythm regulation, heighten oxygen demand in the heart muscle, and contribute to endothelial dysfunction, which makes it harder for the blood vessels to relax and expand, and can interrupt blood flow. One of the studies included in the meta-analysis found that the risk of heart attack peaked about one hour after marijuana consumption.

Since both studies were limited by their retrospective nature and the meta-analysis was limited by the challenges inherent in pooling data from multiple studies, researchers said that additional prospective studies would help to confirm the findings and determine which groups may face the highest risk.

A previous study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in 2023 found that daily marijuana use was associated with an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease.

website: popularscientist.com

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