CECAD - Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research

We are very pleased to share this press release from the Universität zu Köln
🔬 A research group led by Dr Mauro Corrado found that the lipid known as cardiolipin is crucial for keeping the immune response in the gut under control. These findings offer a new perspective on inflammation and may shed light on why diseases progress very differently in different patients.
Read more 🔗 https://uni-koeln.de/en/university/news/news/news-detail/links-discovered-between-mitochondrial-lipid-deficiency-and-inflammation-of-the-gut
📰 https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-026-01533-9

Links discovered between mitochondrial lipid deficiency and inflammation of the gut Researchers from the CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research found that the lipid known as cardiolipin is crucial for keeping the immune response in the gut under control. These findings offer a new perspective on inflammation and may shed light on why diseases progress very differently in di...

🚨 Two weeks left to hand in your abstracts for the AHA and EFAR in October!
Take the chance and be part of these two important conferences in in Cologne.
🗸Present your research to an international audience of leading experts across disciplines
🗸Gain visibility and valuable feedback on your work from both academic and clinical perspectives
🗸Build connections that can lead to collaborations, career opportunities, and future funding
🗸Be part of a vibrant scientific community shaping the future of research
👉 Submit your abstract for the 15th Annual Alliance for Healthy Aging Conference 📅 11th - 14th October 2026 🔗 https://uni-koeln.converia.de/frontend/index.php?folder_id=659&page_id=
👉 Submit your abstract for the 1st Conference of the European Federation for Aging Research (EFAR) 📅 14th - 16th October 2026 🔗 https://uni-koeln.converia.de/frontend/index.php?folder_id=659&page_id=
🎯 Deadline: May 31st
Already planning your trip to Cologne? Find hotel recommendations here 🔗https://hotelmap.com/MTZMM

🚨 Don't miss the chance to present your work in aging research this October!
Make the most of May and submit your abstracts for posters or talks. Join the international community of and share your findings.

🎯 Deadline: May 31th

👉 Submit your abstract for the 15th Annual Alliance for Healthy Aging Conference 📅 11th - 14th October 2026 https://uni-koeln.converia.de/frontend/index.php?folder_id=659&page_id=

👉 Submit your abstract the 1st Conference of the European Federation for Aging Research (EFAR) 📅 14th - 16th October 2026 https://uni-koeln.converia.de/frontend/index.php?sub=98

Don't wait and be part of these exciting events in Cologne! 🚀

📢 We are hosting the EFAR Conference in Cologne from October 14th to 16th, 2026 – and it’s more than just a conference! 📢

Aging research in Europe is highly fragmented. To change this, the European Federation for Aging Research (EFAR) was established.

The goal:

🔹 Unify research & promote collaboration 🔹 Create Europe-wide funding mechanisms 🔹 Support early-career researchers & offer career opportunities 🔹 Put research findings into practice 🔹 Attract top researchers to geroscience
📖 Read more about EFAR’s vision in this article in Nature Aging. 🔗 https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-026-01128-9

Take the opportunity and join us for at the inaugural meeting. Register now and submit an abstract for a poster or talk. 🔗 https://uni.koeln/YGPMA

Connecting fragmented aging research through the European Federation for Aging Research - Nature Aging Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the si...

Es war uns eine große Freude, gestern so viele interessierte Zuhörer zu unserem Vortrag „Adipositas verstehen: Von der Gehirnsteuerung zur Heilung?“ in der Fritz Thyssen Stiftung begrüßen zu dürfen. 🎤🧠

Nach der Begrüßung durch Prof. Carien Niessen, der Forschungsdekanin der Universität zu Köln und ehemalige Sprecherin des CECAD Exzellenzclusters, gab Prof. Jens Brüning vom Max-Planck-Institut für Stoffwechselforschung spannende Einblicke in den derzeitigen Forschungsstand neurobiologischer Ursachen für Übergewicht und Diabetes. Danach folgte der Vortrag von Prof. Matthias Blüher von der Universität Leipzig zu seiner klinischen Adipositasforschung. 📊

An die etwa einstündigen Präsentationen schloss sich eine angeregte Diskussion mit dem Auditorium an. Diese wurde beim anschließenden Get-together mit den Rednern im schönem Ambiente im Foyer der Fritz Thyssen Stiftung und bei bestem Frühlingswetter fortgesetzt.🌷

Diese Veranstaltung war der Auftakt der Veranstaltungsreihe des CECAD (Cologne Excellence Cluster on Aging and Aging-Associated Diseases) zum Thema „Herausforderungen und Chancen einer alternden Gesellschaft – Zukünftige Aufgaben und Perspektiven für (bio-)medizinische Forschung“ in Kooperation mit der Fritz Thyssen Stiftung. Die nächste Veranstaltung findet am 9. September 2026 statt. 🗓️

It was a great pleasure for us to welcome so many interested attendees to our lecture “Understanding Obesity: From Brain Control to Cure?” at the Thyssen Foundation yesterday. 🎤🧠

Following opening remarks by Prof. Niessen, Dean of Research at the University of Cologne and former spokesperson for the CECAD Cluster of Excellence, Prof. Jens Brüning from the Max Planck Insititute for Metabolism Research provided fascinating insights into the current state of research on the neurobiological causes of obesity and diabetes. This was followed by a presentation by Prof. Blüher from the University of Leipzig on clinical obesity research. 📊

The presentations, which lasted about an hour, were followed by a lively discussion with the audience. This continued during the subsequent get-together with the speakers in the beautiful setting of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation’s foyer, accompanied by perfect spring weather.🌷

This event marked the kickoff of the CECAD (Cologne Excellence Cluster on Aging and Aging-Associated Diseases) event series on the topic “Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Society – Future Tasks and Perspectives for (Bio-)Medical Research” in cooperation with the Fritz Thyssen Foundation. The next event will take place on September 9, 2026. 🗓️

📢Es sind noch Plätze für unseren Vortrag in der Fritz Thyssen Stiftung frei.
⏰Schnell anmelden.

📢There are still places available for our lecture at the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung.
⏰Be quick and register now.

https://www.fritz-thyssen-stiftung.de/veranstaltungen/liste-veranstaltungen/

„Adipositas verstehen: Von der Gehirnsteuerung zur Heilung?“ Zu diesem Thema geben Prof. Matthias Blüher von der Universität Leipzig und Prof. Jens Brüning vom Max-Planck-Institut für Stoffwechselforschung Einblicke in ihre Forschung und neue Behandlungsansätze.

Die Veranstaltung bildet den Auftakt der Veranstaltungsreihe des CECAD zu den »Herausforderungen und Chancen einer alternden Gesellschaft – Zukünftige Aufgaben und Perspektiven für (bio-)medizinische Forschung und Krankenversorgung« in der Fritz Thyssen Stiftung.

📆 27.04.2026, 18:30 Uhr
📍 Fritz Thyssen Stiftung, Apostelnkloster 13, Köln
Weitere Infos und Anmeldung hier: https://www.fritz-thyssen-stiftung.de/veranstaltungen/liste-veranstaltungen/

“Understanding Obesity: From Brain Control to a Cure?” On this topic, Prof. Matthias Blüher of the University of Leipzig and Prof. Jens Brüning of the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research will share insights into their research and new treatment approaches.

The event marks the kickoff of CECAD’s series of events on “Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Society – Future Tasks and Perspectives for (Bio-)Medical Research and Healthcare” at the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.

📣 is thrilled to host two exciting conferences in Aging Sciences in October 📍 in Cologne.

📆 11th - 14th October 2026 15th Annual Alliance for Healthy Aging (AHA) Conference - “From mechanisms of age-associated diseases to healthy aging” .

📆 14th - 16th October 2026 1st Conference of the European Federation for Aging Research (EFAR) “On the Biology of Aging”

Leading scientists in the field of aging will present their cutting edge in in keynote and selected talks. We encourage you to contribute to these events by submitting your abstract for a talk or poster. Proposals from early-career researchers are highly welcome!

🎯We are looking forward to receiving your abstracts by May 31st.

Find details about registration and abstract submission here 🔗https://uni.koeln/7AYK6

⏰🧠 Nervenzellen altern unterschiedlich
Forschende um Professor Dr. Björn Schumacher haben mithilfe des Modellorganismus – C. elegans – erstmals nachgewiesen, dass Nervenzellen unterschiedlich altern. Mit einer selbst entwickelten „Alternsuhr“ konnten sie das biologische Alter einzelner Neuronen präzise bestimmen.

🔬 Einige Nervenzellen sind bereits bei jungen Tieren „älter“ – und zeigen frühzeitig Degeneration.
Der Grund. eine hohe Proteinproduktion beschleunigt das Altern.

Mit einem KI-gestützten Ansatz konnte das Team zudem potenzielle Schutzstoffe wie Syringasäure (in Heidelbeeren) oder Vanoxerin identifizieren. Ein wichtiger Schritt für künftige Therapien bei neurodegenerativen Erkrankungen.

🗨️„Unsere Arbeit hat zum ersten Mal die Unterschiede im Alterungsprozess einzelner Nervenzellen aufgezeigt,“ so Schumacher. „Das eröffnet uns ganz neue Erkenntnisse, weshalb einige Neurone schon früh altern. Zudem haben wir jetzt einen neuen Ansatz, mithilfe von maschinellem Lernen therapeutische Substanzen schnell zu identifizieren, die künftig die Entwicklung neuartige Behandlungen ermöglichen, um Hirnfunktion zu erhalten oder neurodegenerative Erkrankungen zu verhindern.“

Mehr dazu 🔗 https://uni.koeln/BWMMP

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⏰🧠 Nerve cells age differently
Researchers led by Professor Björn Schumacher have used the model organism C. elegans to prove for the first time that nerve cells age differently. Using an “aging clock” they developed themselves, they were able to precisely determine the biological age of individual neurons.

🔬 Some nerve cells are already “older” in young animals – and show early degeneration.
The reason: high protein production accelerates aging.

Using an AI-supported approach, the team was also able to identify potential protective substances such as syringic acid (found in blueberries) and vanoxerin. This is an important step for future therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

“Our work has revealed the differences in the aging process of individual neurons for the first time,” says Schumacher. “This gives us completely new insights into why some neurones age early. In addition, we now have a new approach that uses machine learning to swiftly identify potential therapeutic substances. This will facilitate the development of novel treatments to preserve brain function and prevent neurodegenerative diseases in future.”

Read more 🔗 https://uni.koeln/FKJ35

📰 https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-026-01067-5

CECAD - Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research