Publications by authors named "Furman D"

The ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is an acidic energy metabolite that is synthesized during periods of fasting or exercise. Our previous study demonstrated that an every other week cyclic ketogenic diet (Cyclic KD), which induces blood BHB levels similar to those observed during fasting, reduces midlife mortality and improves memory in aging mice. In addition to its canonical role as an energy metabolite, BHB regulates gene expression and inflammatory activation through non-energetic signaling pathways.

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Each reviewed trial of transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)-defined quality of life and favorable right ventricular remodeling. KCCQ correlates with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) reduction, heart failure hospitalization, and mortality. Change in KCCQ is therefore meaningful both as a measure of quality of life and as a surrogate endpoint of the impact of TV interventions.

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Cells are subjected to dynamic mechanical environments which impart forces and induce cellular responses. In age-related conditions like pulmonary fibrosis, there is both an increase in tissue stiffness and an accumulation of senescent cells. While senescent cells produce a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), the impact of physical stimuli on both cellular senescence and the SASP is not well understood.

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In the era of renewed space exploration, comprehending the effects of the space environment on human health, particularly for deep space missions, is crucial. While extensive research exists on the impacts of spaceflight, there is a gap regarding female reproductive risks. We hypothesize that space stressors could have enduring effects on female health, potentially increasing risks for future pregnancies upon return to Earth, particularly related to small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses.

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Vascular stiffness is an age-related pathophysiological process that represents a significant risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the older adult.

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Both goal-directed and automatic processes shape human behavior, but these processes often conflict. is the decision about which process guides behavior. Despite the importance of behavioral control for adaptive decision-making, its neural mechanisms remain unclear.

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Article Synopsis
  • Biomarkers of aging (BOA) are special measurements that can help scientists understand how old someone is on a biological level and how this changes with treatments.
  • Recently, many new BOA have been discovered that could really help people live healthier lives as they age, but there are some problems getting these ideas into actual medical practice.
  • Experts found six main challenges that are stopping BOA from being used more widely and suggested ways to make them better, such as ensuring they are easy to access and useful for everyone.
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and accounts for nearly $140 billion in annual healthcare expenditures only in the United States. Obesity, aging, and joint injury are major risk factors for OA development and progression, but the mechanisms contributing to pathology remain unclear. Emerging evidence suggests that cellular dysregulation and inflammation in joint tissues, including intra-articular adipose tissue depots, may contribute to disease severity.

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Telomeres are repetitive nucleoprotein complexes at chromosomal termini essential for maintaining genome stability. Telomeric RNA, or TERRA, is a previously presumed long noncoding RNA of heterogeneous lengths that contributes to end-capping structure and function, and facilitates telomeric recombination in tumors that maintain telomere length via the telomerase-independent Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway. Here, we investigated TERRA in the radiation-induced DNA damage response (DDR) across astronauts, high-altitude climbers, healthy donors, and cellular models.

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  • Spaceflight triggers an immune response in astronauts, which was analyzed during the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission using various data types, including single-cell and biochemical analysis.
  • Researchers identified a "spaceflight signature" in gene expression linked to processes like oxidative phosphorylation, immune function, and inflammation, found across multiple datasets.
  • Key findings include up-regulation of specific immune markers in T cells, long-term suppression of certain MHC class I genes, and changes in infection-related immune pathways due to shifts in the microbiome.
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Microgravity is associated with immunological dysfunction, though the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, using single-cell analysis of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exposed to short term (25 hours) simulated microgravity, we characterize altered genes and pathways at basal and stimulated states with a Toll-like Receptor-7/8 agonist. We validate single-cell analysis by RNA sequencing and super-resolution microscopy, and against data from the Inspiration-4 (I4) mission, JAXA (Cell-Free Epigenome) mission, Twins study, and spleens from mice on the International Space Station.

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Spaceflight induces molecular, cellular and physiological shifts in astronauts and poses myriad biomedical challenges to the human body, which are becoming increasingly relevant as more humans venture into space. Yet current frameworks for aerospace medicine are nascent and lag far behind advancements in precision medicine on Earth, underscoring the need for rapid development of space medicine databases, tools and protocols. Here we present the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA), an integrated data and sample repository for clinical, cellular and multi-omic research profiles from a diverse range of missions, including the NASA Twins Study, JAXA CFE study, SpaceX Inspiration4 crew, Axiom and Polaris.

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The recent acceleration of commercial, private and multi-national spaceflight has created an unprecedented level of activity in low Earth orbit, concomitant with the largest-ever number of crewed missions entering space and preparations for exploration-class (lasting longer than one year) missions. Such rapid advancement into space from many new companies, countries and space-related entities has enabled a 'second space age'. This era is also poised to leverage, for the first time, modern tools and methods of molecular biology and precision medicine, thus enabling precision aerospace medicine for the crews.

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  • The immune system has the potential to control cancer, but the role of certain immune sensors in cancer aggressiveness, specifically NLRC4, remains largely unexplored in humans.
  • This study found that decreased levels of NLRC4 in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells are linked to poorer immune cell infiltration and worse patient outcomes, indicating its importance in tumor progression.
  • Enhancing NLRC4 expression in CRC cells led to immune reprogramming that improved the function of immune cells, suggesting that targeting NLRC4 could provide a new approach to boosting antitumor responses in various types of carcinoma.
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  • - Aging negatively affects the adaptive immune system, leading to fewer diverse T cells and an increase in inflammatory T cell types, which are linked to chronic diseases and higher mortality rates.
  • - B cells play a significant role in the aging process of T cells by reducing naive T cells and promoting harmful T cell subsets, as shown through various experimental models and single-cell analysis.
  • - Targeting these age-related changes in T cells with CD20 monoclonal antibody treatment could help improve immune function and healthspan, with insulin receptor signaling identified as a key mechanism behind B cell effects on T cell dysfunction.
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Individuals with schizophrenia suffer from higher morbidity and mortality throughout life partly due to acceleration of aging-related diseases and conditions. Systemic inflammation is a hallmark of aging and is also observed in schizophrenia. An improved understanding of how inflammation and accelerated aging contribute to long-term health outcomes in schizophrenia could provide more effective treatments to preserve long-term cognitive and physical function.

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  • The "gut-brain axis" is being recognized as a significant area of research in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the immune mechanisms involved are not well understood.
  • A study using single-cell RNA sequencing in a mouse model revealed changes related to immune cell activity in the gut, including a reduction in a specific type of antibody-secreting cells (ASCs).
  • An inulin prebiotic fiber diet showed promise in reducing Alzheimer's disease markers and improving immune responses, suggesting a potential connection between gut health and AD progression.
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Frailty is classically associated with advanced age but is also an important predictor of clinical outcomes in comparatively young adults with cirrhosis. We examined the association of biological aging with frailty and post-transplant outcomes in a pilot of adults with cirrhosis undergoing liver transplantation (LT). Frailty was measured via the Liver Frailty Index (LFI).

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Identification of the mechanisms underlying the genetic control of spatial structure formation is among the relevant tasks of developmental biology. Both experimental and theoretical approaches and methods are used for this purpose, including gene network methodology, as well as mathematical and computer modeling. Reconstruction and analysis of the gene networks that provide the formation of traits allow us to integrate the existing experimental data and to identify the key links and intra-network connections that ensure the function of networks.

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Dulaglutide emerged as a promising therapeutic option for diabetes mellitus Type 2 (DM2). Owing to epigenetic similarities between the pathophysiology of DM2 and breast cancer (BC), we investigated the antitumor effect of dulaglutide. To investigate the effect of dulaglutide, we analyzed the expression of methylated gene promoter regions in BC (, and ).

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Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is a ketone body synthesized during fasting or strenuous exercise. Our previous study demonstrated that a cyclic ketogenic diet (KD), which induces BHB levels similar to fasting every other week, reduces midlife mortality and improves memory in aging mice. BHB actively regulates gene expression and inflammatory activation through non-energetic signaling pathways.

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Background: Depression is a serious, prevalent, recurrent, and undertreated disorder in adolescents. Low levels of treatment seeking and treatment adherence in this age group, combined with a growing national crisis in access to mental health care, have increased efforts to identify effective treatment alternatives for this demographic. Digital health interventions for mental illness can provide cost-effective, engaging, and accessible means of delivering psychotherapy to adolescents.

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There is increasing evidence that the left lateral frontal cortex is hierarchically organized such that higher-order regions have an asymmetric top-down influence over lower order regions. However, questions remain about the underlying neuroarchitecture of this hierarchical control organization. Within the frontal cortex, dopamine plays an important role in cognitive control functions, and we hypothesized that dopamine may preferentially influence top-down connections within the lateral frontal hierarchy.

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During cellular senescence, persistent growth arrest and changes in protein expression programs are accompanied by a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). In this study, we detected the upregulation of the SASP-related protein dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DDP4) in human primary lung cells rendered senescent by exposure to ionizing radiation. DPP4 is an exopeptidase that plays a crucial role in the cleavage of various proteins, resulting in the loss of N-terminal dipeptides and proinflammatory effects.

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