The early turning point when men’s heart risk accelerates

A decades-long study tracking people from young adulthood has uncovered an early and unexpected shift in heart disease risk. Men reached a 5% risk of cardiovascular disease roughly seven years earlier than women, revealing a clear and early gap in heart health. Coronary heart disease accounted for most of this…

Breakthrough sepsis drug shows promise in human trial

Researchers at Griffith University report encouraging progress toward treating sepsis after a Phase II clinical trial in China produced positive results. The study suggests a new drug candidate may reduce the severity of sepsis, a condition that affects millions of hospitalized patients worldwide each year. The experimental treatment, known as…

Gray wolves are hunting sea otters and no one knows how

On Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, gray wolves are showing an unusual behavior: they are hunting sea otters. This unexpected shift in diet could have wide-ranging effects on coastal ecosystems and on the wolves themselves. However, scientists still know very little about how these predators manage to catch prey in…

A breakthrough that could make ships nearly unsinkable

More than 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic, the idea of ships that cannot sink continues to motivate engineers. Researchers at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics have now taken a significant step toward that long-standing goal. They have developed a technique that makes ordinary metal tubes…

Scientists find hidden pathways pancreatic cancer uses to spread

A new study from Brazil, published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, sheds light on how pancreatic cancer gains the ability to spread at an early stage. Researchers found that a protein called periostin, along with stellate cells in the pancreas, plays a crucial role in helping cancer cells…

A fish that ages in months reveals how kidneys grow old

A new study published in Kidney International reports that a class of medications called SGLT2 inhibitors helped prevent age-related damage to kidney structure and function in the African turquoise killifish. This small vertebrate completes its entire lifespan in only a few months, making it a unique model for studying aging.…

New scan spots heart disease years before symptoms

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have created a new medical imaging tool called “fast-RSOM” that can capture highly detailed images of the body’s smallest blood vessels directly through the skin, without invasive procedures. By making it possible to detect early signs of cardiovascular risk,…

A 20-year-old cancer vaccine may hold the key to long-term survival

More than two decades ago, a small group of women with advanced breast cancer took part in a clinical trial that tested an experimental vaccine. All these years later, every one of them is still alive. Researchers say survival over such a long period is extremely uncommon for people with…

A Trojan horse cancer therapy shows stunning results

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have created an experimental immunotherapy that approaches metastatic cancer from a different angle. Rather than attacking cancer cells directly, the treatment focuses on the cells that surround and protect them. The research, published in the January 22 online issue of…

Dermatologists say collagen supplements aren’t the skin fix people expect

Farah Moustafa, MD, an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and a dermatologist with Tufts Medical Center, explains that collagen supplements are not a proven solution for skin aging. “Oral collagen supplements are not currently recommended to treat skin aging, although they can be considered along with other…

A diabetes drug shows surprising promise against heart disease

Research building on earlier work in type 2 diabetes suggests the experimental drug IC7Fc may also help protect against heart disease. A new study reports that the drug can lower cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation, two major contributors to cardiovascular problems. An international research team led by Leiden University Medical…

A simple blood test could spot Parkinson’s years before symptoms

Researchers led by a team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have identified biological markers that appear in the earliest stages of Parkinson’s disease, before major damage occurs in the brain. These early changes leave detectable traces in the blood, but only for a short time. The findings highlight…

Ancient oceans stayed oxygen rich despite extreme warming

The Arabian Sea contained more oxygen about 16 million years ago than it does today, even though Earth’s climate was warmer at the time. Powerful monsoons, shifting ocean currents, and connections between seas strongly influence oxygen levels, showing that ocean health depends on more than temperature alone. Over very long…

Scientists found a way to cool quantum computers using noise

Quantum computers only work when they are kept extremely cold. The problem is that today’s cooling systems also create noise, which can interfere with the fragile quantum information they are supposed to protect. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have now introduced a new type of minimal quantum…

Tiny mammals are sending warning signs scientists can finally read

The decline of lions and pandas often captures global attention, but a quieter and potentially more damaging crisis is unfolding among small mammals. These tiny animals are disappearing at alarming rates, and their loss can have outsized consequences for biodiversity. Small mammals are powerful indicators of environmental health, yet tracking…

Helping with grandkids may slow cognitive decline

Helping to care for grandchildren may serve as a buffer against cognitive decline in older adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Helping to care for grandchildren may help protect older adults from cognitive decline, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The findings suggest…

Long-term alcohol use linked to a sharp rise in rectal cancer

Past research has shown that drinking alcohol is linked to a higher chance of developing colorectal cancer. New evidence now shows that the total amount of alcohol consumed over a person’s lifetime also plays an important role. Higher lifetime intake is tied to greater cancer risk, with rectal cancer showing…

A breakthrough that turns exhaust CO2 into useful materials

Exhaust gases from home furnaces, fireplaces, and industrial facilities release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air, contributing to pollution. Scientists reporting in ACS Energy Letters have developed a new type of electrode designed to address this problem by capturing CO2 directly from the air and turning it into a useful…

Low-Earth orbit is just 2.8 days from disaster

The phrase “House of Cards” is often linked today with a popular Netflix political series, but its original meaning describes something far more literal: a structure that can collapse easily. That idea is exactly how Sarah Thiele, formerly a PhD student at the University of British Columbia and now a…

Dark stars could solve three major mysteries of the early universe

A new study led by Colgate Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Cosmin Ilie, working with Jillian Paulin ’23 of the University of Pennsylvania, Andreea Petric of the Space Telescope Science Institute, and Katherine Freese of the University of Texas at Austin, proposes a single idea that could address three…

Scientists turn tumor immune cells into cancer killers

Tumors in the human body contain immune cells called macrophages that are naturally capable of attacking cancer. However, tumors suppress these cells, preventing them from carrying out their cancer-fighting role. Researchers at KAIST have now developed a new therapeutic strategy that bypasses this suppression by turning immune cells already inside…

These nanoparticles could destroy disease proteins behind dementia and cancer

A newly released perspective article in Nature Nanotechnology describes an innovative nanoparticle-based approach designed to remove harmful proteins from the body. This advance could dramatically expand the ability to treat so-called “undruggable” proteins, opening new possibilities for diseases such as dementia and brain cancer. The work was led by Chair…

The hidden reason cancer immunotherapy often fails

Cancer immunotherapy has reshaped cancer treatment by training the body’s immune system to recognize and attack tumors. Drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, have led to long-lasting responses in some patients and fueled optimism about durable cancer control. Yet for most people, these therapies do…

Why long COVID brain fog seems so much worse in the U.S.

An international study found that U.S. long COVID patients report far more brain fog and psychological symptoms than patients in lower-income countries. Researchers believe the gap is driven by culture and healthcare access, not biology — hinting that millions worldwide may be struggling unseen. A large study of more than…

Brain cancer may begin years before doctors can see it

IDH-mutant glioma, driven by changes in a specific gene (IDH), is the most common malignant brain tumor affecting adults under 50. It is especially challenging to treat because it often returns after therapy. For years, treatment has focused mainly on removing the visible tumor seen on imaging. New research from…

The fat you can’t see could be shrinking your brain

How obesity affects the brain may depend on more than overall body weight. New research published on January 27 in Radiology, the flagship journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), suggests that the location of fat in the body plays a major role in brain health and cognitive…

Tea can improve your health and longevity, but how you drink it matters

A comprehensive review finds that tea, especially green tea, is strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), obesity, diabetes, and several forms of cancer. Beyond these well known benefits, tea consumption is also linked to brain protection, reduced muscle loss in older adults, and anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial…

AI that talks to itself learns faster and smarter

Talking to yourself may feel uniquely human, but it turns out this habit can also help machines learn. Internal dialogue helps people organize ideas, weigh choices, and make sense of emotions. New research shows that a similar process can improve how artificial intelligence learns and adapts. In a study published…