Research Progress

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  Scientists Decode Exercise’s Anti-Aging Secret: Kidney Molecule Mimics Workout Benefits

  BEIJING— In a Cell study, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Xuanwu Hospital discovered that exercise's anti-aging effects are mediated by betaine, a kidney-produced metabolite. This naturally occurring compound effectively mimics exercise by targeting a key inflammation regulator, opening avenues for "exercise-in-a-pill" interventions.

  Jun 25, 2025
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  Metformin May Hold Key to Preventing Age-Related Hearing Loss

  As the global population ages, age-related hearing loss has emerged as a significant public health challenge. This irreversible, progressive hearing decline not only severely impairs auditory function but also leads to social isolation, cognitive decline, and an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. The primary cause of this condition is cochlear aging, yet our understanding of its molecular regulation remains limited. This gap is largely due to two factors: the reliance on rodent models, whose cochlear structures differ significantly from primates, and the scarcity of human cochlear samples, which restricts the clinical relevance of research.

  Jun 24, 2025
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  Reviving Youth: Scientists Use Engineered Cells to Combat Aging in Primates

  As we age, our bodies gradually lose their ability to repair and regenerate. Imagine a bustling city where construction workers (stem cells) are constantly fixing and building new structures. But as time goes on, fewer workers show up, and the city starts to crumble. This is what happens in our bodies—our stem cells dwindle, making it harder for tissues to heal and maintain balance.

  Jun 14, 2025
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  Scientists reveal the role of Wdr5-mediated H3K4 methylation in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell development

  Mar 21, 2025
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  How a "Longevity Protein" Could Turn Back the Clock on Skeletal Muscle Aging

  Beijing, March 14, 2025 — A collaborative research team led by Dr. Liu Guanghui from the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Wang Si from Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, has made a significant breakthrough in understanding and combating skeletal muscle aging. Their study, published in Nature Metabolism, reveals a novel molecular mechanism and proposes a potential gene therapy strategy to delay age-related skeletal muscle decline.

  Mar 20, 2025
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  Researchers Establish Drug Screening Platform for Reinvigorating Exhausted CAR-T Cells

  In a study published in Cell Reports Medicine on December 9, a research team led by Prof. WANG Haoyi from the Institute of Zoology (IOZ) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported the development of a chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell exhaustion model and a functional screening platform for identifying compounds that can rejuvenate exhausted T cells. Using this innovative platform, the team identified the small-molecule compound miltefosine, which significantly enhances the tumor-killing activity of CAR-T cells.

  Dec 11, 2024
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  Researchers Characterize a Coordinated Role of HIRA and dPCIF1 in Regulating Orderly ZGA in Early Embryos

  On November 12, 2024, Qinmiao Sun’s group from Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Dahua Chen’s group from the Biomedical Research Institute of Yunnan University published a research paper titled “HIRA and dPCIF1 coordinately establish totipotent chromatin and control orderly ZGA in Drosophila embryos” in PNAS. The work reveals a novel molecular mechanism of how a totipotent chromatin is established and an orderly zygotic genome activation is controlled in early Drosophila embryos.

  Nov 12, 2024
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  Unveiling the Secrets of Aging: Chinese Scientists Discover the Dual Role of Immunoglobulins

  In an innovative study that could reshape our understanding of aging, a team of Chinese scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and BGI Research has uncovered the intricate mechanisms by which immunoglobulins influence the aging process. This research, published in the prestigious journal Cell, not only charts a high-precision map of aging across various organs but also reveals the dual-edged sword of immunoglobulins in systemic aging.

  Nov 06, 2024
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  PROFIT-seq: Real-time and programmable transcriptome sequencing

  The high complexity and diversity of the eukaryotic transcriptome poses significant challenges for the efficient detection of specific transcripts. Conventional targeted RNA-seq methods often require labor-intensive pre-sequencing enrichment steps, which can compromise comprehensive transcriptome profiling and limit their broader applications.

  Oct 29, 2024
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  Chinese Scientists Uncover Metformin′s Potential to Delay Aging in Primates

  A pivotal discovery in aging research by a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) team has shown that metformin, commonly used for type 2 diabetes, can alleviate cellular senescence, markedly slowing down the aging process in primates. This breakthrough offers fresh insights into aging biology and holds promise for developing interventions for human aging.

  Sep 13, 2024