Agetech World explores the latest research developments in the world of ageing and longevity.

New organ-on-a-chip platform allows the testing of cancer vaccines in ageing populations

A new organ-on-a-chip platform has been developed that recapitulates age-dependent immune responses, offering a more accurate testing bed for evaluating cancer vaccine performance in older adults.

Immunosenescence, the natural decline of the immune system with age, significantly reduces the effectiveness of cancer vaccines.

Yet, despite its clinical importance, age-related immune decline is seldom incorporated into vaccine development pipelines.

Current 2D culture systems are unable to capture these complex age-specific immune responses, thereby limiting their predictive value towards clinical translation.

To address this need, the team at the Terasaki Institute developed a lymph node paracortex-inspired organ-on-a-chip platform that models key steps in cancer vaccine immune responses, which are characterised by antigen presentation, antigen-specific T cell activation, and downstream tumor-specific cytotoxicity.

By comparing immune responses from young and older lymphocytes, the lymph node on-a-chip platform captures functional differences that naturally emerge with age.

Using this platform, the team demonstrated that young antigen-presenting cells displayed significantly stronger peptide presentation compared to old cells.

This increased activity led to higher activation of antigen-specific T cells and enhanced cytotoxicity against cancer cells.

Notably, these age-dependent differences were detectable only with the lymph node on-a-chip system, underscoring its ability to reveal biologically relevant immune variations that traditional 2D cultures cannot.

By more accurately reflecting the biology of ageing, this novel platform offers a valuable tool for understanding how immunosenescence influences cancer vaccine efficacy.

This technology may help guide the development of next-generation immunotherapies designed to meet the needs of older patients, ensuring that emerging cancer treatments support those who depend on them most.

Young and old mice blood differently shapes Alzheimer’s-related brain changes

A new study investigated how blood from young and old mice influences Alzheimer’s-related changes in a transgenic mouse model.

The findings indicate that age-dependent circulating factors can either worsen or mitigate brain changes associated with dementia, highlighting blood and its components as potential therapeutic targets.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by misfolded amyloid proteins, inflammation, and gradual cognitive decline, with ageing as its main risk factor.

In this work, whole blood from young adult or very old wild-type mice was repeatedly infused into Tg2576 mice, a well-established model of amyloid accumulation and memory impairment.

Over several months, recipient mice received 30 weekly blood infusions, followed by behavioural testing and detailed neuropathological analyses.

Mice that received blood from old donors performed worse in both short- and long-term spatial memory tasks than mice infused with young blood, suggesting that aged blood contains factors that impair cognition.

When the team examined brain tissue, they found more cortical amyloid deposits detected by a specific antibody in mice treated with old blood, while overall amyloid levels measured biochemically did not change, suggesting differences in plaque type or compactness rather than total amount.

The expression of amyloid precursor protein in the brain was also higher after old-blood infusion, which may partly explain the shift in amyloid pathology.​

Despite these changes in plaques and memory, classical markers of astrocyte activation, a sign of brain inflammation, did not differ between groups, pointing to more subtle molecular shifts.

A broad proteomic analysis of brain samples revealed dysregulation of proteins involved in synapse formation, calcium signaling, and the endocannabinoid system, pathways important for neuronal communication and plasticity.

Among them, the calcium channel–related protein CACNA2D2 and the signaling protein BRAF were increased in mice that received old blood, confirming that aged blood circulation can reshape key signaling networks linked to neuronal function and degeneration.

Overall, this study supports the idea that blood is not just a passive carrier but a powerful modulator of brain health during ageing and disease.

While young blood has been associated in previous work with improved synaptic function and reduced amyloid and tau changes, this study emphasises the harmful impact of old blood, particularly on cortical amyloid patterns and memory.

The identification of CACNA2D2 and BRAF as potential mediators of these effects suggests new avenues for targeting blood-borne factors or downstream brain pathways to slow or modify Alzheimer’s-related decline.

Internet use may protect caregivers against loneliness

Staying connected through the internet can help older adults who care for their family or friends feel less lonely and cope better with the stress of caregiving, according to a new study.

In the United States, 59 million people care for ageing adults or those with complex medical conditions.

For informal caregivers, who might be caring for a spouse or other family member, this unpaid work can be both physically and emotionally challenging.

Caregiving can also be isolating, curbing one’s ability to go out and maintain social connections. Fostering connection using technology. F

or instance, joining a virtual support group, reading a caregiving forum, or FaceTiming with a friend, offers alternatives to in-person interactions.

While there’s a growing consensus that technology is driving isolation among young people, the research team wanted to explore whether internet use could be beneficial for older caregivers, who tend to already have limitations on their time and mobility.

The researchers analysed data from the 2019 to 2020 California Health Interview Survey, the largest statewide health survey in the United States.

They focused on 3,957 participants ages 65 and older who provided unpaid care for a family member or friend.

About 12 per cent of older caregivers reported physical or mental health problems because of their caregiving duties.

The researchers found that those who had these health issues tended to feel lonelier.

But importantly, caregivers who used the internet more often felt less lonely overall.

In fact, going online frequently seemed to act like a buffer: it reduced the extra loneliness that caregivers with health problems would otherwise experience.

Given their findings, the researchers encourage older caregivers to embrace the internet as a tool in their daily lives, one that could help them to stay in touch with others, find support, learn new online skills, and access reliable health information.

Exercise might help improve mobility during ageing

The brain-chemical surge that comes with running may bolster co-ordination and speed in the old and young alike, a new study of middle-aged mice shows.

Such physical activity may help restore ease of movement and agility, which often decline as humans and animals get older, the study authors said.

Led by NYU Langone Health researchers, the investigation explored how aerobic exercise can boost the release of dopamine, a brain chemical involved in movement, reward, and memory.

The team built upon its earlier work, which revealed that young (10-week-old) male rodents had a lasting increase in dopamine release after voluntarily running on an exercise wheel for 30 days.

The new findings showed that 12-month-old male mice, the equivalent of humans in their 50s, experienced the same or greater rises in the chemical.

In addition, the middle-aged runners could more swiftly and agilely climb down a pole or dash around an open arena than animals of the same age that did not have access to a functioning wheel.

The study authors note that the rodents’ grip strength did not change after their month of exercise, suggesting that the improvements resulted solely from enhanced coordination rather than muscle power.

How the underlying mechanisms work in an ageing brain and body had until now been unclear, say the researchers, who note that the brain cells (neurons) that produce dopamine gradually decline in older adults.

The new study is believed to be the first to uncover a link between dopamine release from exercise and improved motor performance in ageing mice of both sexes, according to the authors.

Based on these findings, Rice says the research team next plans to repeat the study in mice genetically engineered to serve as models for the neurodegenerative disorder.

Rice cautions that future studies of humans will be required to fully understand how dopamine release prompted by exercise may impact Parkinson’s disease.

A multi-BILLION-Euro Swiss finance house has launched Pictet-Longevity  as a vehicle to invest in companies in the ageing space.

Founded by Pictet Asset Management the new entity will aim to capitalise on ‘the economic implications of ageing populations’.

Lead manager Marien-Baptiste Pouyat said: “By uniting our health and human experience under Pictet-Longevity, we can capitalize on the opportunities presented by societal developments.

“’Through this strategy, we’re investing in businesses that are driving innovation and delivering sustainable returns for our investors.

It will invest in two key areas, namely Health Span – companies offering established and efficient healthcare solutions’ – and Productivity – technology-driven innovations that help businesses operate efficiently as societies age.

It estimates the global longevity market at roughly $3.5tn, with expected compound annual growth of 9%.

Living To 150?

Miami-based wealth managers Insigneo have flagged-up the need to rethink global financing as the world awakens to an on-going ‘longevity boom’

Speaking at Insigneo’s 2025 Summit in Seville, CIO Ahmed Riesgo highlighted longevity’s potential as an ‘investable megatrend’

He singled out health, technology and longevity real estate and infrastructure as sectors with structural investment advantages.

Nasdaq-listed  Psyence Biomedical has launched a new psilocybin longevity research initiative in collaboration with leading South African researchers.

This program positions Psyence as the first publicly-listed US company to investigate psilocybin’s potential impact on biological markers associated with ageing and longevity.

Chinese firm Lonvi Biosciences claims its new drug could stretch human life to 150 years.

The Shenzhen-based company says its new development targets so-called ’zombi’ or ageing cells that refuse to die, triggering inflammation and age-related disease.

“This is not just another pill. This is the Holy Grail,” said CEO Ip Zhu, describing the capsule as a breakthrough that could make extreme longevity a reality.

The drug’s key ingredient, procyanidin C1, is derived from grape seeds and has shown lifespan extension in lab animals.

London biotech company Istesso says its lead candidate in musculoskeletal repair, leramistat, also has potential treatment capabilities for age-related degenerative conditions.

Its announcement follows detailed analyses from a Phase 2b rheumatoid arthritis trial, which revealed signals far beyond joint inflammation, including bone protection and early signs of muscle preservation.

Leramistat, an oral mitochondrial complex I modulator, is designed to activate the body’s intrinsic repair machinery.

Dr Lisa Patel, Istesso’s CEO, said: “The potential of leramistat to directly target the muscle is hugely exciting. This confirms our view that our novel MCMs offer a new path to stopping, or even reversing, progressive tissue decline.”

Pomegranate Powerhouse

Scientists at the Georg-Speyer-Haus and University Medicine Frankfurt have successfully demonstrated that a natural substance derived from pomegranates can turn back the clock on key aspects of immune ageing.

In a phase I clinical trial published in Nature Aging the team led by Prof Florian Greten and Dr Dominic Denk examined the potential of Urolithin A.

A key driver of ageing decline is the loss of T cells. Its randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 50 healthy, middle-aged adults who received a daily dose of Urolithin A or a placebo for four weeks.

Participants who received Urolithin A showed a significant increase in their T cells, effectively replenishing their pool of ‘young’ immune cells (6).

New research from Sentai, a conversational AI voice companion tool, reveals that loneliness now rivals falls as one of the top fears for families with elderly relatives living alone.

While 47% of families say they worry most about falls, 41% are equally fearful of loneliness, and 65% admit concern about their loved ones feeling isolated.

Paul Statham, CEO of Sentai, said: “We often think of safety in physical terms, avoiding accidents or falls, but our research proves loneliness is just as frightening for families. Sentai is designed as a companion as well as a safety net, because staying connected is what truly keeps people well.”

Sentai’s approach combines companionship, reminders, and reassurance to help families act earlier, reducing both the emotional and physical toll of living alone, and keeping older adults connected, supported, and safe.