Core Insights - A new study challenges the long-held belief that Alzheimer's disease is irreversible, suggesting that restoring brain energy balance can help reverse the disease in mice and restore cognitive function [1] Group 1: Research Findings - Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and other institutions found that the imbalance of NAD+ levels in the brain is a key factor driving the development of Alzheimer's disease [1] - The study indicates that NAD+ levels naturally decline with aging, and this decline is more severe in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, as well as in mouse models of the disease [1] - Maintaining normal NAD+ levels in the brain can prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease, and even in late-stage Alzheimer's, restoring NAD+ balance can repair brain damage and recover cognitive function [1] Group 2: Implications - The findings suggest that maintaining brain energy balance may not only help prevent and slow Alzheimer's disease but could potentially reverse the condition, offering new hope for recovery [1] - Further clinical trials are needed to validate the effectiveness of related therapies in humans [1]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent announcement of the 2024 Annual Outstanding Paper Awards by Sanofi-Cell Research, highlighting three significant research papers published in Cell Research that have made notable contributions to their respective fields [2]. Group 1: Paper Summaries - The first paper titled "Hypoxia induces mitochondrial protein lactylation to limit oxidative phosphorylation" reveals that hypoxia-induced mitochondrial protein lactylation inhibits oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). The study identifies AARS2 as a lactyltransferase that modifies PDHA1 and CPT2, reducing acetyl-CoA influx and suppressing OXPHOS. SIRT3 can reverse this lactylation, emphasizing the role of lactylation in mitochondrial function regulation [8][13]. - The second paper titled "40 Hz light flickering promotes sleep through cortical adenosine signaling" demonstrates that 40 Hz light flickering increases extracellular adenosine levels in the primary visual cortex via ENT2-mediated transport. The study shows that 30 minutes of 40 Hz light flickering enhances both non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep in mice, suggesting a non-invasive strategy for treating insomnia [14][16]. - The third paper discusses a novel design strategy for D-type proteins that can stably target natural L-type proteins or peptides. This research achieves the precise design of enantiomeric protein complexes with high stereospecificity and target specificity, exhibiting significant thermal stability and proteolytic resistance. The findings provide a new platform for disease treatment and biotechnological applications [18].

Group 1 - A new method for early and accurate detection of pancreatic cancer has been developed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, which is expected to significantly improve treatment outcomes [1] - The method is non-invasive and relies on the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the patient's blood, specifically through differential methylation analysis [1] - The process involves collecting a blood sample, isolating plasma, and extracting ctDNA released during cell death or degradation, allowing for the detection of specific pathological changes without the need for a biopsy [1] Group 2 - The detection method identifies biochemical modifications (methylation) at specific locations in the DNA, which differ between tumor DNA and healthy DNA [1] - High-throughput sequencing technology is utilized to recognize these differences, making the testing process more patient-friendly by allowing blood collection from areas like the elbow [1]