Optimal Being

A novel antibody therapy makes the immune system of old mice appear younger, allowing the animals to better fend off infections and reduce inflammation. Antibodies are proteins that can target and attack certain cells. An experimental therapy has been found to rejuvenate the immune systems of older mice, enhancing their capacity to combat infections. Should this treatment prove effective in humans, it could potentially reverse the age-related deterioration in immunity that renders older individuals more vulnerable to diseases. This decline in immunity might stem from alterations in our blood stem cells, which have the potential to evolve into any blood cell type, including vital elements of the immune system. With age, an increasing number of these stem cells are inclined to generate certain immune cells rather than others, according to Jason Ross from Stanford University in California. Such an imbalance compromises the immune system's infection-fighting abilities and contributes t...

  Summary:  A neuroimaging study on house sparrows reveals changes in the dopaminergic system could be a physiological mechanism underlying the negative behavioral effects of chronic stress. The findings shed light on stress and resilience in wildlife and humans. Source:  Louisiana State University A biologist at Louisiana State University conducted a pioneering research study that could help us to better understand the role of dopamine in stress resilience in humans through analyzing wild songbirds. This study could lead to increased prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that is important for learning and memory. Department of Biological Sciences Assistant Professor Christine Lattin, and colleagues conducted this study of wild songbirds showing that dopamine is important in responding to chronic stressors, which can help wildlife conservation efforts in response to environmental stressors such as habitat destruction, na...