Cardiac-specific JMJD6 overexpression in rats protected the hearts against ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, and rescued cardiac function. Histone H4R3 symmetric di-methylation by prmt5 protects against cardiac hypertrophy via regulation of Filip1L/beta-catenin. Prevention of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure by silencing of NF-kappaB. Yu S, Li Y, Zhao H, Wang Q, Chen P. The Histone demethylase JMJD1C regulates CAMKK2-AMPK signaling to participate in cardiac hypertrophy.

Long-chain fatty acids have tails of 13 to 21 carbons. The team studied how two ELOVL4 mutants, one associated with brain disorders and the other with skin disease in humans, elongate a precursor fatty acid. They found that both these mutations had some limited capacity to elongate PUFA precursors to VLC-PUFA but blunted the enzyme’s capability to biosynthesize VLC-SFAs. “Because we know which VLCFAs go down with the different ELOVL mutations, we could recommend personalized dietary supplementations as part of the treatment.”

Review of evidence supporting the presence of a blood microbiome. Review of the links between human health and the gut microbiome. No evidence for a common blood microbiome based on a population study of 9,770 healthy humans.

A new review from the University of Colorado, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has proposed that Alzheimer’s disease is a result of an evolutionary survival pathway used during times of scarcity and is driven by diet. Fructose and its metabolic byproduct, intracellular uric acid, reduce blood flow to the brain’s cerebral cortex, hippocampus and thalamus, enhancing foraging behavior by blocking non-essential activity, such as paying attention to time and recent memories.

The present study summarized how gut microbiota could influence behavior and neuroplasticity. Study: The gut-brain connection: Exploring the influence of the gut microbiota on neuroplasticity and neurodevelopmental disorders. The ability of gut bacteria to produce precursors that may reach the brain suggests a potential role in influencing cognitive function and behavior through neuroplasticity. There is some consensus on the ability of gut microbiota to influence behavior and neuroplasticity.

March 9th, 2023 Proteins are made up of amino acids. It is known that reducing only protein in the diet, while maintaining the same calorie intake, produces a modest slowing of aging. In today's open access paper, researchers compare overall protein restriction with restriction of only the essential amino acid isoleucine, in both cases maintaining an overall calorie intake equivalent to that of a non-restricted diet.

The review highlights the current technologies for commercially developing and growing microalgae, as well as the scientific and economic challenges to scaling production. While long studied as a source of biofuel thanks to their high lipid or fat content, algae are also attracting interest from researchers because of their potential to be a more efficient food source. In the paper, the UCSD authors describe the various scientific tools available to produce the most desirable traits for a commercially viable algal product.

Researchers are now looking for different ways of growing nutritious foods to replace the ones whose cultivation is no longer as sustainable. One of these is algae.

March 3rd, 2023 Proteostasis is the normal maintenance of protein levels and protein structure in a cell. Loss of proteostasis is a hallmark of aging, but has the look of a consequence of aging, not a cause to be addressed. It is also highly complex, and thus progress towards practical therapies is probably better served by a focus on causes of aging rather than the fine details of age-related changes in the cell.