How Horses Hacked Their Genes to Become Super Athletes

New research from Johns Hopkins University reveals that horses owe their incredible athleticism to a rare genetic mutation and a clever evolutionary workaround. Scientists discovered that horses, donkeys, and zebras have a premature stop codon in the KEAP1 gene, which usually halts protein production and can cause disease. But in a viral-like twist, horses evolved a way to override this stop signal, enabling them to produce a full, functional KEAP1 protein.

This tweak supercharges the NRF2/KEAP1 pathway, which is vital for energy production and protecting cells from oxidative stress during intense exercise. The result? Horses generate more cellular energy and are better equipped to handle the physiological demands of speed and stamina. Beyond explaining horsepower, this discovery could open new doors for treating inherited and age-related diseases in humans, especially those caused by similar premature stop codons. As researcher Elia Duh puts it, this breakthrough highlights not only a key piece of horse evolution but also a promising avenue for medical innovation.

sources:

https://hub.jhu.edu/2025/05/01/genetic-mutations-and-evolutionary-trick-makes-horses-athletic/

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr8589

Possible Cure for Early Alzheimer's

Researchers at John Hopkins University found that a drug used to treat patients with epilepsy can actually calm down the brain of patients that have early signs of Alzheimer's. Recent research backs up previously published works by the John Hopkins' team that the drug has advantages. Animal studies have been done and a plan for long-term clinical trials is in place to see how the drug will affect human brains. 

Certain studies have shown that small amounts of atypical antiepileptic levetiracetam lowers the affects of Alzheimer's dementia. 84 people were studied and out of them 17 were healthy and the rest had pre-dementia. All were over the age of 55. In a double-blind trial some patients were given a placebo and some were given small doses of the drug. Low doses showed positive results in lessening memory loss. 

This article is so interesting because Alzheimer's affects many people. Finding a possible cure is amazing because then people would not have to suffer through the disease. Just knowing that grandparents and even parents would not lose their memory and not forget the ones they love is a great thing. With the way this research is going I think many positive outcomes will become available in the near future. 

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