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    inflammaging tagged posts

    Blood proteins may flag disability risk years before loss of independence

    August 23, 2026, Categories  Astronomy/Space, Biology/Biotechnology

    Towards early disability prediction with blood protein biomarkers
    Researchers identified two blood proteins—beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) and cystatin C—that predict future disability in community-dwelling adults aged 85 years and older. The findings, validated in independent Japanese and Italian aging cohorts, suggest that blood-based biomarkers could support earlier identification of older adults at risk of losing independence and guide timely preventive interventions. Credit: Dr. Yusuke Osawa from Keio University, Japan

    Japan has one of the world’s fastest-aging populations, but maintaining independence into very old age remains a growing public health challenge...

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    Thymus-derived hormone may suppress age-related inflammation and boost cancer therapy

    July 23, 2026, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Human Thymus Anatomy Illustration. 3D render
    Photo/iStock

    Chronic, low-grade inflammation in the body—a phenomenon known as “inflammaging” because it increases with age—has been linked to many of today’s leading causes of illness and death, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic conditions and neurodegenerative diseases. But scientists have struggled to understand what causes inflammaging or how to reverse its effects.

    Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC have identified the thymus, a small organ behind the breastbone that plays a central role in immune system development, as a key player in inflammaging. They discovered that thymulin, a hormone produced by the organ, keeps inflammation under control.

    As we age, thymulin decreases and inflammation increases, allowing diseases like cancer to progress...

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