The Yuan Lab has discovered a molecular link between aging and two major neurodegenerative diseases: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Their paper in Cell illustrates how the loss of function of the proteins TBK1 and TAK1 lead to neurodegeneration in mice. Aging results in reduced levels of these proteins, thus identifying the first molecular event that associates aging with neurodegeneration. To learn more about this story, visit HMS News, Science Daily, and Medical Xpress.