Latest news with #MartaFernandez
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
The Secret to Slowing Down Aging Could Come From a Surprising Source
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new study suggests that an insect could hold clues to slowing the pace of biological aging. Researchers at the University of Leicester have discovered that jewel wasps can dramatically extend their lifespans by undergoing a natural developmental pause known as diapause. The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal that this pause slows the "epigenetic clock"—a molecular marker of aging that tracks chemical changes in DNA. The species is an emerging model for aging research because, unlike many other insects, it has a functioning DNA methylation system similar to humans. When mothers were exposed to cold and darkness, their larvae entered diapause, effectively pressing a biological "pause button." Stock image: A wasp. Stock image: A wasp. Photo by Marta Fernandez / Getty Images The results were striking: wasps that had undergone diapause lived more than a third longer as adults. Their molecular markers of aging ticked 29% more slowly than those of wasps that developed normally. "We usually think of aging as life slowly falling apart, like a bike rusting in the rain," study author Eamonn Mallon told Newsweek in an email. "But our study hints that aging might be more like a badly planned journey, with checkpoints you can actually delay. If a tiny wasp can hit pause on its biological clock by going into dormancy, maybe there are ways to do something similar in more complex animals. "It's early days, but it's definitely food for thought, especially if you're hoping to age a little more gracefully." Why It Matters Understanding how and why organisms age remains one of science's biggest challenges. By showing that early-life environmental factors can slow the pace of molecular aging, the Leicester team has opened new avenues for anti-aging research. The study's evidence that the epigenetic clock can be slowed in an invertebrate raises the possibility that environmental factors—or eventually medical interventions—might one day delay biological aging in humans. What to Know The jewel wasp's diapause was triggered under controlled conditions of darkness and cold, mimicking seasonal survival strategies. Scientists found that even after normal development resumed, the benefits persisted: the wasps' slower pace of epigenetic aging was linked to conserved biological pathways, including those involving insulin and nutrient sensing. These same pathways are already the target of several human anti-aging studies. This makes jewel wasps a rare invertebrate model capable of bridging laboratory research with potential human health applications. "When people hear 'wasps,' they usually imagine something buzzing angrily around a picnic," Mallon told Newsweek. "Nasonia couldn't be further from that, it's tiny, just a couple of millimeters long and completely harmless to humans. You'd struggle to notice one, let alone get stung." Mallon noted that for flies, Nasonia is "pure nightmare fuel." He said it was a, "parasitoid wasp, which means the female drills into a fly pupa, injects it with venom to kill it and then lays her eggs inside," he said. "Her offspring grow up happily feeding on the corpse from the inside out. So while I don't need to worry about getting stung, the flies definitely should." What People Are Saying "This is more than an academic curiosity," Mallon said. "We're starting to explore how these findings might actually help in the search for interventions that slow ageing, or improve late-life health. "That's the idea behind Vitality Labs, a new initiative aimed at turning insect models like Nasonia into powerful tools for drug discovery. [...] "The hope is to take insights from tiny wasps and build something with big impact." What's Next The findings position jewel wasps as a key model for testing whether targeted manipulation of the epigenetic clock can improve health and lifespan.
Free Malaysia Today
05-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
BRICS nations to denounce Trump tariffs
Diplomats from key emerging countries are finalising a joint statement criticising global economic uncertainty. (AFP pic) RIO DE JANEIRO : BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry Donald Trump's hardline trade policies but are struggling to bridge divides over crises roiling the Middle East. Emerging nations representing about half the world's population and 40% of global economic output are set to unite over what they see as unfair US import tariffs, according to sources familiar with summit negotiations. Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive tariffs. His latest salvo comes in the form of letters due to be sent starting Friday informing trading partners of new tariff rates expected next week on July 9. Diplomats from 11 emerging nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have been busy drafting a statement condemning the economic uncertainty. Any final summit declaration is not expected to mention the US or its president by name. But it is expected to be a clear political shot directed at Washington. 'We're anticipating a summit with a cautious tone: it will be difficult to mention the US by name in the final declaration,' Marta Fernandez, director of the BRICS Policy Center at Rio's Pontifical Catholic University said. This is particularly the case for China, which has only recently negotiated with the US to lower steep tit-for-tat levies. 'This doesn't seem to be the right time to provoke further friction' between the world's two leading economies, Fernandez said. Xi no show Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power. But the summit's political punch will be depleted by the absence of China's Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president. 'I expect there will be speculation about the reasons for Xi's absence,' said Ryan Hass, a former China director at the US National Security Council who is now with the Brookings Institution think tank. 'The simplest explanation may hold the most explanatory power. Xi recently hosted Lula in Beijing,' said Hass. The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. War crime-indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin is also opting to stay aaway but will participate via video link, according to the Kremlin. Hass said Putin's non-attendance and the fact that India's prime minister will be a guest of hhonourin Brazil could also be factors in Xi's absence. 'Xi does not want to appear upstaged by Modi,' who will receive a state lunch, he said. 'I expect Xi's decision to delegate attendance to Premier Li (Qiang) rests amidst these factors.' Still, the Xi no-show is a blow to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage. In the year to November 2025, Brazil will have hosted a G20 summit, a BRICS summit and COP30 international climate talks, all before heading into fiercely contested presidential elections next year, in which he is expected to run. Middle path Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel, is also skipping the meeting. A source familiar with the negotiations said the BRICS countries were still in disagreement over how to respond to the wars in Gaza and between Iran and Israel. Iranian negotiators are pushing for a tougher collective stance that goes beyond referencing the need for the creation of a Palestinian state and for disputes to be resolved peacefully. Artificial intelligence and health will also be on the agenda at the summit. Original members of the bloc Brazil, Russia, India, and China have been joined by South Africa and, more recently, by Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia. Analysts say that it has given the grouping more potential international punch. But it has also opened many new fault lines. Brazil hopes that countries can take a common stand at the summit, including on the most sensitive issues. 'BRICS (countries), throughout their history, have managed to speak with one voice on major international issues, and there's no reason why that shouldn't be the case this time on the subject of the Middle East,' Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told AFP.
