Core Viewpoint - Regular physical activity is essential for health, significantly reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and extending lifespan through optimal exercise regimens [6][12]. Group 1: Exercise and Health Benefits - Exercise is recognized as one of the four pillars of health, alongside sunlight, air, and water, with historical roots tracing back to Hippocrates [6]. - Modern studies confirm that engaging in 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise daily can significantly lower the risk of metabolic diseases, particularly when combined with strength training [7][9]. - A recent study indicates a linear relationship between daily exercise duration and the risk of type 2 diabetes, with a reduction in risk of 74% for those exercising over 68 minutes per day [9][10]. Group 2: Optimal Exercise Duration - The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise weekly, but recent findings suggest that achieving 2-4 times this amount maximizes health benefits [12][13]. - A study covering 116,000 adults over 26 years found that adhering to the higher exercise volume can reduce all-cause mortality by up to 31% [12][13]. Group 3: Strength Training and Aging - Strength training is shown to delay biological aging by an average of 3.9 years, with a recommendation of 90 minutes per week to achieve this effect [15][16]. - Regular strength training can enhance metabolic rate, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease [15][17]. - The combination of strength training and aerobic exercise yields greater health benefits than either form alone, promoting both muscle retention and fat loss [17].

Core Insights - The article highlights six research papers published in the prestigious journal Cell, with four authored by Chinese scholars, focusing on various scientific advancements in neuroendocrine circuits, cell therapy, exercise, and developmental biology [2]. Group 1: Sleep-Dependent Growth Hormone Release - A study by Academician Dan Yang's team reveals the activity patterns of two types of neurons in the hypothalamus—GHRH and SST neurons—during different sleep stages, regulating growth hormone (GH) secretion [4][5]. - The research uncovers how GH enhances the excitability of locus coeruleus neurons to promote wakefulness, ensuring substantial GH release during sleep while preventing excess [5]. Group 2: iPSC-CAR-NK Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases - A collaborative study led by Professor Xu Huji from the Navy Medical University demonstrates the first successful clinical application of iPSC-derived CD19/BCMA CAR-NK cell therapy in a patient with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis [8][10]. - This research marks a significant breakthrough in using iPSC-derived CAR-NK cells for treating autoimmune diseases, establishing a new paradigm for low-toxicity, broad-spectrum targeted therapies [10]. Group 3: Exercise and Anti-Aging Mechanisms - A team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences identifies betaine as a key molecule that mimics exercise effects, revealing its role in delaying aging by targeting TBK1 to inhibit inflammation and mitigate multi-organ aging processes [13][15]. - This study provides molecular evidence supporting the notion that "exercise is the fountain of youth" and introduces a novel strategy for systemic anti-aging interventions through "exercise-mimicking drugs" [15]. Group 4: Decoding Developmental Dynamics - Researchers from BGI and Southern University of Science and Technology create a 3D single-cell spatiotemporal multi-omics atlas of Drosophila, unveiling key regulators of cell-type differentiation throughout development [17][19]. - This groundbreaking work offers unprecedented molecular insights into developmental biology, laying a foundation for understanding developmental defects and related disease mechanisms [19].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exercise and introduces betaine as a potential exercise mimetic for geroprotection, providing a new strategy for anti-aging interventions [1][3][22]. Group 1: Research Findings - The research team conducted a six-year study that systematically analyzed the molecular and cellular responses of the human body to acute and long-term exercise, identifying the kidneys as a key organ responding to exercise effects [2][11]. - Betaine was found to be a core molecular messenger for delaying aging, targeting and inhibiting the natural immune hub kinase TBK1, which helps to alleviate inflammation and slow down the aging process in multiple organs [2][15]. - The study established a multi-modal data coupling analysis framework, breaking down the complex biological responses to exercise into a quantifiable dynamic network [9][20]. Group 2: Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Anti-Aging - The research revealed distinct effects of acute versus long-term exercise, with acute exercise triggering a "survival stress-type" metabolic storm, while long-term exercise promotes a health-oriented metabolic-immune homeostasis [11][12]. - Long-term exercise was shown to rejuvenate T lymphocytes by enhancing genomic and epigenetic stability, activating NRF2 pathways to suppress inflammatory factors, and promoting T cell survival and proliferation [12][14]. - The study demonstrated that long-term exercise significantly increases kidney betaine levels, with choline dehydrogenase (CHDH) identified as a key regulatory enzyme in this process [13][14]. Group 3: Implications of Betaine as an Exercise Mimetic - Betaine was shown to effectively simulate the benefits of long-term exercise, improving various aging-related cellular phenotypes in human diploid cells and extending healthy lifespan in aged mice [14][22]. - The study confirmed that betaine specifically binds to and inhibits TBK1 kinase activity, blocking downstream inflammatory signaling pathways, thus reducing immune cell infiltration and inflammatory factor release [15][20]. - The findings suggest that betaine could serve as a potential anti-aging alternative for elderly populations who cannot tolerate high-intensity exercise, marking a new paradigm in the development of exercise-mimicking drugs [20][22].