Matt Elliott 
Redox signalling at a glance What it is: cells using small, controlled amounts of reactive oxygen and related molecules to pass messages The main messenger: hydrogen peroxide, working at very low concentrations How messages are read: reversible chemical changes to sulphur-containing cysteine sites on proteins A famous example: nitric oxide, whose signalling role in blood … Read more
The biology of ageing at a glance The framework: twelve hallmarks of ageing, set out by leading researchers in 2013 and updated in 2023 The common thread: damage builds up faster than cells can repair it, and the body’s responses gradually become part of the problem Genes versus life: recent large studies suggest genes explain … Read more
Genetic variations inherited before birth significantly shape how your cells defend against oxidative damage from toxins. Some people mount stronger, faster antioxidant responses due to inherited genetic differences, while others produce weaker defences to the same exposures.
Exercise creates oxidative stress that acts as a signal, not just damage. Your muscle cells respond by encoding these stress signals into lasting cellular changes that persist even after you stop training.
Copper nanoparticles penetrate mitochondria and disrupt the assembly of respiratory chain complexes, triggering cellular stress responses. Research reveals that nanomaterials hijack ancient defence systems cells evolved to handle very different threats.
After brain injury, immune cells flood the damage site to clean up debris, but uncontrolled inflammation can cause more harm than the original injury. Cells produce a specialised signalling molecule called RvD1 that acts as a biological brake, telling immune cells to shift from attack mode to repair mode.
A circular RNA that lives inside mitochondria appears to act as a local stress sensor, ramping up antioxidant defences when cells detect oxidative damage. This discovery reveals how cells manage chemical threats at the precise location where they arise.
When you’re under chronic stress, your body floods reproductive tissues with stress hormones that ramp up metabolic activity and free radical production. This oxidative assault can damage sperm, eggs, and the tissues that support them, but the mechanism is only now becoming clear.
A compound found in garlic called S1PC can directly activate LKB1, an enzyme that acts as your cells’ master energy sensor. This discovery suggests one way that diet might influence the metabolic pathways that respond to energy depletion.
Drp1 is a protein that pinches mitochondria in two, keeping muscle cells’ energy factories healthy and responsive to demand. Research shows this fission process becomes less efficient with ageing and sedentary behaviour, contributing to muscle weakness.
When your cells burn fat for energy, they trigger a cascade of signals that extends far beyond simple fuel consumption. These fat-burning pathways act as master switches controlling DNA repair, stress defence, and cellular ageing mechanisms.
Mushrooms synthesise ergothioneine, a rare amino acid that protects cells from oxidative damage by activating stress response pathways rather than simply neutralising free radicals. Understanding how this compound works reveals broader principles about how cells defend themselves.