(Press-News.org) A naturally occurring peptide called PEPITEM could potentially rejuvenate the immune response in older individuals and protect against 'inflammageing', which is widely believed to be the root cause of many age-related diseases.
The study, published today in the journal npj Aging, raises the exciting possibility of a protective agent that could dampen age-related inflammation and restore normal immune function in older adults.
PEPITEM (Peptide Inhibitor of Trans-Endothelial Migration) was initially identified at the University of Birmingham in 2015. While the role of the PEPITEM pathway has already been demonstrated in immune-mediated diseases, this is the first data showing that PEPITEM has the potential to increase healthspan in an aging population.
Researchers, led by Drs Myriam Chimen, Asif Iqbal, and Helen McGettrick, investigated how aging adversely influences the inflammatory response and how it can be rescued by PEPITEM.
In a healthy immune system, PEPITEM regulates the trafficking of immune cells between blood and body tissues, ensuring that the immune response is not exaggerated. In immune-mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and lupus, the PEPITEM pathway is dysregulated, leading to increased trafficking of immune cells into tissues and resulting in chronic inflammation.
The researchers used an animal model to study the effect of an immune challenge in young and older mice and the extent to which PEPITEM influences leukocyte (white blood cell) trafficking in both groups.
Their findings revealed that older mice exhibited an exaggerated response in terms of the number, subtype, and migration of immune cells (including T-cells), which could be reduced by administering PEPITEM. This indicates a decline in the activity of the PEPITEM pathway with age.
The second aspect of the study examined the potential cause for this decline in PEPITEM activity with age by using B-cells harvested from younger (under 45 years) and older (over 60 years) human donors.
PEPITEM originates from a larger protein secreted by B-cells (white blood cells), and its production is triggered by a circulating hormone called adiponectin. In the bloodstream, PEPITEM acts on receptors on cells that line blood vessel walls.
The researchers found that B-cells from older adults had a deficit in the signalling pathway that triggers the production of the parent protein for PEPITEM (14-3-3ζ).
Dr Chimen said, "We have shown an age-related decline in the PEPITEM-adiponectin pathway and demonstrated the influence this has on T-cell trafficking, as seen in inflammageing. These truly exciting results raise the possibility of developing a geroprotective agent that not only reduces excessive inflammation in old age but also supports good immune function in older people."
University of Birmingham Enterprise has filed several patent families related to PEPITEM and the components of the PEPITEM molecule responsible for maintaining a normal immune response. The team is seeking collaborative partners, licensees and / or investors. For commercial inquiries, please contact Helen Dunster at University of Birmingham Enterprise.
END
PEPITEM – a novel protective agent for inflammageing
A naturally occurring peptide called PEPITEM could potentially rejuvenate the immune response in older individuals and protect against 'inflammageing', which is widely believed to be the root cause of many age-related diseases.
2024-07-18
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Small animals acquire genes from bacteria that can produce antibiotics
2024-07-18
WOODS HOLE, Mass. -- A group of small, freshwater animals protect themselves from infections using antibiotic recipes “stolen” from bacteria, according to new research by a team from the University of Oxford, the University of Stirling and the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole.
The tiny creatures are called bdelloid rotifers, which means ‘crawling wheel-animals’. They have a head, mouth, gut, muscles and nerves like other animals, though they are smaller than a hair’s breadth.
When these rotifers are exposed to fungal infection, the study found, ...
Unexpected role of OTX2 drives aggressive medulloblastoma
2024-07-18
In a report published in Nature Cell Biology, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, the University of Manitoba and collaborating institutions revealed an unexpected way in which the protein OTX2 drives the progression of medulloblastoma – the most common aggressive childhood brain cancer. The findings suggest that targeting OTX2 or its effects can have therapeutic relevance.
“We see medulloblastoma stem cells as the root of the disease. The tumors develop from these cells early during development of the cerebellum, the brain region ...
Study shows new efficiency standards for heavy trucks could boost energy use
2024-07-18
Deliveries are getting faster than ever in the U.S., but the faster movement of goods is undercutting the country’s climate progress.
In a new study published July 18 in the journal Nature Energy, a CU Boulder researcher and his collaborator estimate that federal regulations aimed at enhancing heavy-duty trucks’ energy efficiency could be as much as 20% less effective than policymakers initially anticipated.
That’s because the regulations make trucking cheaper. As a result, more shippers will likely switch from using less energy-intensive rail transportation to using more energy-intensive trucks to ship goods.
“We ...
Minerals play newly discovered role in Earth’s phosphorus cycle
2024-07-18
Northwestern University-led researchers have discovered a new way that nature cycles phosphorus, a finding that uncovers a missing piece of Earth’s puzzling phosphorus cycle.
The research will be published on Thursday (July 18) in the journal Nature Communications.
A critical nutrient for plant growth, phosphorus is a non-negotiable component of fertilizers. Without it, farmers cannot ensure plant health and boost crop yields. Understanding Earth’s phosphorus cycle, therefore, is important for protecting the global food supply.
Although ...
Social media: How algorithms influence election campaigns
2024-07-18
Milano, 18 luglio 2024 – A new study published in the journal PNAS Nexus reveals how social media algorithms favor politically sponsored content from certain parties given the same investment budget.
The research, a collaboration between the Politecnico di Milano, LMU – Ludwig Maximilians Universität of Munich, and the CENTAI institute of Turin, analyzed over 80,000 political ads on Facebook and Instagram before the 2021 German federal elections. These ads were placed by parties across the political spectrum and generated over 1.1 billion impressions during an election with more than 60 million eligible voters.
Investigating ...
IOP Publishing launches series of open access journals dedicated to machine learning and artificial intelligence for the sciences
2024-07-18
IOP Publishing (IOPP) is launching the world’s first series of open access journals dedicated to the application and development of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for the sciences. The new multidisciplinary Machine Learning series will collectively cover applications of ML and AI across the physical sciences, engineering, biomedicine and health, and environmental and earth science.
Building on the successful launch of Machine Learning: Science and Technology in 2019, IOPP’s Machine Learning series will expand to include three new ...
Research shows young infants use their mother’s scent to see faces
2024-07-18
Humans see the world through the five senses, but how and when the ability to integrate across the senses arises is debated. Research shows that humans combine sensory information together, particularly when one sense is not able to produce a sufficient response alone. Studies also show that infants may use multisensory cues to perceive their environments more efficiently. A new Child Development study by researchers at the Université de Bourgogne, University of Hamburg, Université de Lyon, Institut Universitaire de France, Université de Lorraine, Centre Hospitalier de Nancy, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ...
Novel drug application shows improved survival for patients with relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia
2024-07-18
Relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a so-called blood cancer, has an extremely poor prognosis because of resistance to anti-cancer drugs and frailty of the patient’s organ functions. A type of anti-tumor immunotherapy called allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, which can exert anti-cancer effect accompanied by severe toxicity, is often performed for patients who are hard to treat with chemotherapy, but relapse still remains.
The hematopoietic cell transplant team in ...
Pompeii skeleton discovery shows another natural disaster may have made Vesuvius eruption even more deadly
2024-07-18
Almost 2,000 years ago, Pliny the Younger wrote letters describing a shaking ground as Vesuvius erupted. Now, a collaborative study led by researchers from the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and Pompeii Archaeological Park has shed light on the effects of seismicity associated with the 79CE eruption.
The study is the first to tackle the complex task of reporting on the effects of co-occurring earthquakes. This is tricky due to the possibility of volcanic and seismic effects happening concurrently or in quick succession, meaning volcanic effects can overshadow effects caused by earthquakes and vice versa.
“These ...
Egg freezing: Britain’s largest ever study reports live birth outcomes comparable to those of routine IVF
2024-07-18
18 July 2024: Britain’s largest ever study of egg freezing which followed up the outcome of almost 30,000 eggs frozen at the London Women’s Clinic shows that success rates are comparable to those achieved by routine IVF and subject to the same variables of female age and embryo quality.(1) When seen alongside other similar large-scale egg-freezing studies from other countries, the results of this study add to a pattern of success which is consistent, predictable and reliable.
The study, published today in the peer-reviewed journal Reproductive Biomedicine Online, analysed the outcomes of treatment ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
One in 20 people in Canada skip doses, don’t fill prescriptions because of cost
Wildlife monitoring technologies used to intimidate and spy on women, study finds
Around 450,000 children disadvantaged by lack of school support for color blindness
Reality check: making indoor smartphone-based augmented reality work
Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain
Black men — including transit workers — are targets for aggression on public transportation, study shows
Troubling spike in severe pregnancy-related complications for all ages in Illinois
Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas
Need a landing pad for helicopter parenting? Frame tasks as learning
New MUSC Hollings Cancer Center research shows how Golgi stress affects T-cells' tumor-fighting ability
#16to365: New resources for year-round activism to end gender-based violence and strengthen bodily autonomy for all
Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands
São Paulo to host School on Disordered Systems
New insights into sleep uncover key mechanisms related to cognitive function
USC announces strategic collaboration with Autobahn Labs to accelerate drug discovery
Detroit health professionals urge the community to act and address the dangers of antimicrobial resistance
3D-printing advance mitigates three defects simultaneously for failure-free metal parts
Ancient hot water on Mars points to habitable past: Curtin study
In Patagonia, more snow could protect glaciers from melt — but only if we curb greenhouse gas emissions soon
Simplicity is key to understanding and achieving goals
Caste differentiation in ants
Nutrition that aligns with guidelines during pregnancy may be associated with better infant growth outcomes, NIH study finds
New technology points to unexpected uses for snoRNA
Racial and ethnic variation in survival in early-onset colorectal cancer
Disparities by race and urbanicity in online health care facility reviews
Exploring factors affecting workers' acquisition of exercise habits using machine learning approaches
Nano-patterned copper oxide sensor for ultra-low hydrogen detection
Maintaining bridge safer; Digital sensing-based monitoring system
A novel approach for the composition design of high-entropy fluorite oxides with low thermal conductivity
A groundbreaking new approach to treating chronic abdominal pain
[Press-News.org] PEPITEM – a novel protective agent for inflammageingA naturally occurring peptide called PEPITEM could potentially rejuvenate the immune response in older individuals and protect against 'inflammageing', which is widely believed to be the root cause of many age-related diseases.