Association between biological aging and diabetic retinopathy.

The impact of aging on diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains underestimated. The current study aimed to investigate the association between biological aging and DR, in contrast to chronological age (CA). Using the National Health and Nutrition Survey data from 2005 to 2008. Biological aging was evaluated through the biological age (BA) and phenotypic age (PA), which were calculated from clinical markers. DR was identified in participants with diabetes mellitus (DM) when they exhibited one or more retinal microaneurysms or retinal blot hemorrhages under retinal imaging, with or without the presence of more severe lesions. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression was performed, and the regression model was further fitted using restricted cubic splines. The discriminatory capability and clinical utility of the model were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). Based on weighted analyses, of the 3100 participants included in this study, of which 162 had DR. In the adjusted model, BA (odds ratio [OR] = 1.12, 95% CI, 1.06-1.18) and PA (OR = 1.11, 95% CI, 1.07-1.14) were associated with DR, while CA was not significantly (OR = 1.01, 95% CI, 0.99-1.03). Narrowing the analysis to DM participants and adjusting for factors like insulin showed similar results. ROC and DCA analyses indicate that BA/PA predicted DR better than CA and offer greater clinical utility. The positive association between BA/PA and DR was consistent across subgroups despite potential interactions. Biological aging heightens DR risk, with BA/PA showing a stronger association than CA. Our findings underscored the importance of timely anti-aging interventions for preventing DR.

Imaging through the Whole Brain of Drosophila at λ/20 Super-resolution.

Recently, many super-resolution technologies have been demonstrated, significantly affecting biological studies by observation of cellular structures down to nanometer precision. However, current super-resolution techniques mostly rely on wavefront engineering or wide-field imaging of signal blinking or fluctuation, and thus imaging depths are limited due to tissue scattering or aberration. Here we present a technique that is capable of imaging through an intact Drosophila brain with 20-nm lateral resolution at ∼200 µm depth. The spatial resolution is provided by molecular localization of a photoconvertible fluorescent protein Kaede, whose red form is found to exhibit blinking state. The deep-tissue observation is enabled by optical sectioning of spinning disk microscopy, as well as reduced scattering from optical clearing. Together these techniques are readily available for many biologists, providing three-dimensional resolution of densely entangled dendritic fibers in a complete Drosophila brain. The method paves the way toward whole-brain neural network studies and is applicable to other high-resolution bioimaging.