Category Biology/Biotechnology

Theobromine is found in cocoa and, to a lesser extent, coffee. It is chemically similar to caffeine but does not have such a pronounced stimulant effect.

A new study, published in the journal Aging, measured levels of this compound in people’s blood.

They found that those with the highest levels had epigenetic markers associated with slower biological aging.

But what is theobromine?
Theobromine is a bioactive phytochemical, meaning that it comes from a plant, and it can influence human physiology.

The primary sources of theobromine in the human diet are chocolate and, to a lesser extent, coffee.

This compound is a major component of cocoa beans, comprising around 3.3% by weight. It is molecularly similar to caffeine and shares some of its effects.

However, experts c...

A study by researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil, in partnership with University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom, concluded that the combination of abdominal fat and muscle loss increases the risk of death by 83%, compared to people without these conditions.

This combination is so dangerous that it identifies an even greater problem: sarcopenic obesity. This condition is characterized by loss of muscle mass while gaining fat throughout the body. It is a difficult condition to diagnose, and it is related to loss of autonomy and a worsening quality of life in older adults...

Heart muscle cells grown from patient stem cells—known as human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes, or hiPSC-CMs—are a promising way to repair hearts damaged by heart attacks and heart failure. But transplanted hiPSC-CMs often have trouble syncing to the rhythm of native heart cells, which can cause dangerous arrhythmias after transplantation.

Efforts to improve cell integration
For years, stem cell biologists and cardiac researchers have been looking for ways to improve how implanted hiPSC-CMs mature and integrate into the heart. The challenge is that once the hiPSC-CMs are implanted in vivo, it’s hard to monitor how they integrate.

Now, Harvard University researchers have developed the first platform capable of continuously monitoring how transplanted ce...

Reducing calorie intake helps cancer-fighting immune cells do their jobs more effectively, reports a study by Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators. The findings lay the groundwork for developing dietary strategies to boost the effects of a powerful class of cancer immunotherapies.

“Growing evidence suggests dietary restriction has anti-cancer effects but the ‘why and how’ are not well understood. Our new study reveals one way this relationship may work: by providing T cells, the soldiers of the immune system, with the right mix of nutrients to more effectively fight cancer,” said Russell Jones, Ph.D., chair of VAI’s Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming and corresponding author of the study.

“Additional research is need...