Latest news with #John-PatrickAlao
Daily Record
10 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Your morning coffee 'flips an ancient switch' to help you live longer
Caffeine appears to do more than perk you up - it actually helps cells cope with stress and energy shortages, according to scientists. We all have our morning routine, and flicking on the kettle or revving up the coffee machine to indulge in our first cup of the day might feature in yours. The caffeine hit could seem inconsequential to our larger wellbeing. However, your morning coffee might do more than wake you up. Scientists have revealed that the beverage actually flips an ancient longevity switch that could lead to better health and a longer life. A new study from the Cellular Ageing and Senescence laboratory at Queen Mary University of London's Centre for Molecular Cell Biology, reveals how caffeine could play a role in slowing down the ageing process at a cellular level. Dr John-Patrick Alao, the postdoctoral research scientist leading this study, said: "These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity. "They open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly, with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines." Caffeine has long been linked to potential health benefits. But how it works inside our cells, and what exactly are its connections with nutrient and stress responsive gene and protein networks has remained a mystery. Until now. In new research published by scientists studying fission yeast - a single-celled organism surprisingly similar to human cells - researchers found that caffeine affects ageing by tapping into an ancient cellular energy system. A few years ago, the same research team found that caffeine helps cells live longer by acting on a growth regulator called TOR (Target of Rapamycin). TOR is a biological switch that tells cells when to grow, based on how much food and energy is available. This switch has been controlling energy and stress responses in living things for over 500 million years. But in their latest study, the scientists made a surprising discovery - caffeine doesn't act on this growth switch directly. Instead, it works by activating another important system called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). This is a cellular fuel gauge that is evolutionarily conserved in yeast and humans. "When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope," Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis, the study's senior author, explained. "And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch." Interestingly, AMPK is also the target of metformin, a common diabetes drug that's being studied for its potential to extend human lifespan together with rapamycin. Using their yeast model, the researchers showed that caffeine's effect on AMPK influences how cells grow, repair their DNA, and respond to stress, all of which are tied to ageing and disease. So, the next time you reach for your coffee, you might be doing more than keeping your mind sharp. You could also be giving your cells a helping hand. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Gulf Insider
5 days ago
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Scientists Reveal Your Morning Coffee Flips An Ancient Longevity Switch
Caffeine appears to do more than perk you up—it activates AMPK, a key cellular fuel sensor that helps cells cope with stress and energy shortages. This could explain why coffee is linked to better health and longer life. A new study from the Cellular Ageing and Senescence laboratory at Queen Mary University of London's Cenfre for Molecular Cell Biology, reveals how caffeine — the world's most popular neuroactive compound — might do more than just wake you up. The study in the journal Microbial Cell shows how caffeine could play a role in slowing down the ageing process at a cellular level. Caffeine has long been linked to potential health benefits, including reduced risk of age-related diseases. But how it works inside our cells, and what exactly are its connections with nutrient and stress responsive gene and protein networks has remained a mystery — until now. In new research published by scientists studying fission yeast — a single-celled organism surprisingly similar to human cells — researchers found that caffeine affects ageing by tapping into an ancient cellular energy system. A few years ago, the same research team found that caffeine helps cells live longer by acting on a growth regulator called TOR (Target of Rapamycin). TOR is a biological switch that tells cells when to grow, based on how much food and energy is available. This switch has been controlling energy and stress responses in living things for over 500 million years. But in their latest study, the scientists made a surprising discovery: caffeine doesn't act on this growth switch directly. Instead, it works by activating another important system called AMPK, a cellular fuel gauge that is evolutionarily conserved in yeast and humans. 'When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope,' explains Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis, Reader in Genetics, Genomics and Fundamental Cell Biology at Queen Mary University of London, the study's senior author. 'And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch.' Interestingly, AMPK is also the target of metformin, a common diabetes drug that's being studied for its potential to extend human lifespan together with rapamycin. Using their yeast model, the researchers showed that caffeine's effect on AMPK influences how cells grow, repair their DNA, and respond to stress — all of which are tied to ageing and disease. 'These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity,' said Dr John-Patrick Alao the postdoctoral research scientist leading this study. 'And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly — with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines.' So, the next time you reach for your coffee, you might be doing more than just boosting your focus — you could also be giving your cells a helping hand.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Caffeine Flips a Cellular Switch That May Slow Aging, Scientists Discover
We know caffeine is good for an alertness boost first thing in the morning or during an afternoon lull, but researchers have also linked the compound to healthy aging – and a new study takes a close look at some of the cellular mechanisms responsible for that link. Scientists from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the Francis Crick Institute in the UK used fission yeast as stand-ins for human cells, analyzing how doses of caffeine affected the lifespan of the cells and their ability to withstand damage. "These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity," says biochemist John-Patrick Alao, from QMUL. "And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly – with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines." Previous research found that caffeine could operate a biological switch called TOR (target of rapamycin), which helps regulate the growth of cells in response to food and energy availability. With the latest experiments, the researchers determined that caffeine doesn't interact directly with TOR. Instead, it controls it through the AMPK pathway, which works kind of like a fuel gauge for cells. We already know that AMPK takes care of some vital jobs in terms of keeping cells running and helping them resist wear and tear more effectively. Now we also know that caffeine has an effect on it. "When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope, and our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch," says geneticist and biologist Charalampos Rallis, from QMUL. With caffeine operating the TOR lever through the AMPK enzyme, cells are affected in three different ways, the researchers found: in how they grow, in how they repair their DNA, and in how they respond to stress. That all adds up to cells that stay healthier for longer. When the researchers interrupted the genetic chain reaction that caffeine triggers, the cells didn't get all of the same health benefits – confirmation of how the compound is working, and perhaps, how we might be able to utilize it in the future. The diabetes drug metformin is currently being looked at as a way of keeping us in better shape for a longer period of time, and it too operates through AMPK – suggesting caffeine-based drugs may have a similar effect. Any kind of medication or treatment is still a long way off however, not least because these findings are from yeast cells rather than human cells. The researchers are still keen to learn more about the precise way caffeine interacts with AMPK and TOR. What we can certainly say for now is that more and more studies are showing positive effects from caffeine consumption, whether that's losing body fat, protecting against cardiovascular disease, or keeping dementia at bay. "Direct pharmacological targeting of AMPK may serve towards healthspan and lifespan benefits beyond yeasts, given the highly conserved nature of this key regulatory cellular energy sensor," write the researchers in their published paper. The research has been published in Microbial Cell. People Are Trying Nicotine Gum For Long Covid – Could It Treat Brain Fog? Your Cell's Powerhouses Are Secretly Helping Fight Bacteria, Study Finds Heavy Drinkers Face Higher Risk of Brain Lesions And Alzheimer's Markers
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Your morning coffee could help you stay young — but there's a catch
Could coffee be the liquid key to longevity? A new study reports that the world's most widely used stimulant can extend lifespan and affect how cells respond to genetic damage — though there's a potential complication. A team of researchers at Queen Mary University of London confirms that caffeine interacts with the systems that influence aging, DNA response and cellular stress. The team studied fission yeast, a single-celled organism that is analogous to human cells and uses similar pathways to manage energy, DNA repair and stress. Researchers measured the response of fission yeast to different forms of cellular stress, including DNA damage, toxic exposure and nutrient deprivation. Then they added caffeine to gauge how cells would respond. They found that while caffeine extended the lifespan of yeast, it also affected how cells responded to stress, particularly when the molecular systems that regulate stress were already activated. The findings were published this week in the journal Microbial Cell. The research team previously established that caffeine supports the longevity of cells by activating TOR (target of rapamycin), a biological switch that determines when cells should grow based on the availability of food and energy. According to the team, the TOR switch has been actively controlling energy and stress responses in living things for over 500 million years. In this latest study, the team learned that caffeine doesn't directly activate TOR, but rather influences it by activating AMPK, a cellular fuel reserve in yeast and humans. 'When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope,' said study senior author Charalampos (Babis) Rallis. 'And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch.' The yeast model demonstrated that caffeine's influence on flipping that switch directly impacts how cells grow, repair their DNA and respond to stress — all of which relate to aging. Quite surprisingly, the team found that rather than protecting damaged DNA, caffeine amplified the damage. Typically, when a cell detects DNA damage, it stops dividing to repair it. However, researchers found that caffeine overrides this stop, allowing unhealed cells to continue dividing and making them more vulnerable to future damage. The team assured that this doesn't make your morning cup inherently dangerous. Caffeine's ability to alter how cells respond to problems can be positive or negative, depending on the situation. The team noted that the benefits of caffeine depend on the presence of specific proteins and pathways. The fact that caffeine's effects are neither universal nor automatic may help explain why previous studies exploring the link between caffeine and improved health have been inconsistent. 'These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity,' said John-Patrick Alao, the postdoctoral research scientist leading this study. 'And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly — with diet, lifestyle or new medicines.' The team acknowledged that because the study relied only on fission yeast, the findings may not directly translate to human cells. Coffee has long been lauded for its health benefits. Rich in antioxidants, it may enhance brain function. It's also been shown to increase alertness, aid in weight management, boost mood and potentially lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A 2018 study of nearly half a million British adults found that coffee drinkers had a slightly lower risk of death over 10 years than abstainers. Other research, encompassing more than 170,000 adults in the UK, proposed that those who drink between two and four daily cups of coffee, regardless of whether they have added sugar, live longer than those who don't drink coffee. A 2025 study led by researchers at Tulane University tied a morning brew to lower mortality rates than espresso later in the day. And three to five cups a day at midlife was associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease later in life, research determined. In addition to Alzheimer's, some studies found that java junkies have up to a 60% lower risk of Parkinson's disease. The more coffee they drank, the lower the risk.
