Since the isolation of SARS-CoV-2 and the study of its infection mechanisms, scientists have been trying to understand how this virus accesses the brain and produces neurological symptoms.

In a sense, memories are useless without being linked to feelings. Without knowing whether a memory is good or bad, there is no way to seek out good experiences, and avoid bad ones. Now, investigators at the Salk Institute have identified neurotensin as a critical molecule for the assignment of such emotional valence.

A study published in Nature Communications revealed a new antisense oligonucleotide therapy applicable to the W1282X mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene in cystic fibrosis.

In this multipart special report, BioWorld explores the concept of extending lifespan, which is surprisingly well-validated by basic research. The team examined the latest science, the key biological drivers that can be targeted pharmacologically and the companies developing these potential “Fountain of Youth” candidate drugs.

There is no drug that will halt the inevitable process of getting older each year. But biopharmaceutical research can have a positive impact on preventing diseases that come with aging, thereby extending life for the masses, and more importantly, extending quality of life. Part one of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan looks at the increasing development and investment in the space.

To most people, trying to prevent aging seems like a dream – maybe a pipe dream, in fact. But a dream for sure. To aging researchers, it seems like common sense. And if animal studies are any indication, maybe not that hard, either. Part two of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan looks at the potential of anti-aging medicine.

Aging is surprisingly dichotomous. Genetic studies suggest that in fruit flies and mice, the gene sets that affect male and female longevity are mostly distinct. And a lopsided amount of what’s known about aging comes from the study of – wait for it – males. Read part three of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan.

The U.S. NIH’s National Institute on Aging’s Intervention Testing Program has been searching for ways to extend lifespan for more than two decades by now. And in its animal studies, it has been successful multiple times. There are half a dozen drugs, and a few lifestyle interventions, that reliably extend lifespan in one or both sexes by up to 30%. Read more in part four and five of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan.

A lot of what goes on during aging remains too poorly understood for straightforward translation. There are hallmarks of aging, and researchers are getting a handle on its biological mechanisms. But in a basic sense, “we still don’t have much of an idea what causes aging,” said Björn van Eyss of the Leibniz Institute for Aging Research. Part six of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan explores the moonshot attracting the most attention: in vivo partial reprogramming.