Reporting world updates to you
A new study has identified a molecular cue that cancer cells use to exhaust the T cells responsible for destroying them, and the findings show that shutting down this signal may help restore the body’s immune defenses. The work, led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and published Nov. 17…
Hot tubs and saunas are both known for helping tired muscles relax and providing comforting warmth. However, recent research indicates that hot tubs may deliver more noticeable health benefits. A team at the Bowerman Sports Science Center at the University of Oregon examined how the body responds to three types…
Researchers at NYU Langone Health have identified how a specific form of cell death linked to the buildup of highly reactive molecules can slow the growth of lung tumors. This type of cell death, known as ferroptosis, originally evolved as a way for the body to clear out cells that…
Scientists study matter under extreme conditions to uncover some of nature’s most fundamental behaviors. The Standard Model of particle physics contains the equations needed to describe these phenomena, but in many real situations such as fast-changing environments or extremely dense matter, those equations become too complex for even the most…
A research group at the City University of New York and the University of Texas at Austin has found a method to make dark excitons, a class of previously unseen light states, emit bright light and be controlled with nanoscale precision. The study, published November 12 in Nature Photonics, points…
A research team at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC) in Brazil has created a new chemical compound that may offer a promising way to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Their work involved a combination of computer-based modeling (in silico), laboratory tests with cell cultures (in vitro), and experiments in animals (in…
Every moment, the bone marrow generates millions of fresh blood and immune cells. This nonstop renewal depends on a carefully balanced relationship between hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), supportive stromal cells, and a network of immune signals. Over the years, this balance becomes vulnerable. Aging, chronic inflammation, or somatic mutations can…
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited disorder in which clusters of fluid-filled cysts gradually develop within the kidneys. As these cysts enlarge and multiply, they damage the surrounding tissue and limit the organs’ ability to function. Many people with advanced PKD eventually require dialysis. There is currently no cure.…
Chameleons have intrigued observers for thousands of years, largely because their eyes seem to roam independently in nearly every direction. After centuries of curiosity, modern imaging techniques have now uncovered the anatomical feature responsible for this extraordinary ability. Hidden behind each protruding eye are two long, spiraled optic nerves —…
By early June this year, an estimated 38 million tons of Sargassum drifted toward the coastlines of the Caribbean islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and northern South America, setting an unfortunate new record. During the summer, these floating mats of brown algae collect in large amounts on beaches where they…
Scientists report that ancient bogs located throughout the Southern Hemisphere contain important clues to a significant change in Earth’s climate thousands of years in the past. Researchers studying peatlands found that abrupt movements in the Southern Westerly Winds 15,000 years ago set off a large expansion of these wetland systems.…
A research team at the University of California, Riverside has found that routine exposure to microplastics — tiny pieces released from packaging, fabrics, and common consumer plastics — may speed up the formation of atherosclerosis, the artery-narrowing condition associated with heart attacks and strokes. The effect appeared only in male…
New studies are revealing how medications that act on the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) system influence brain networks tied to nausea, thirst, and reward-driven behaviors. GLP-1 drugs include commonly used treatments such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda), and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). These findings will be featured at Neuroscience 2025,…
Using the strength of one of the fastest supercomputers on the planet, scientists have created one of the most comprehensive and biologically realistic animal brain simulations ever developed. This digital reconstruction of the entire mouse cortex gives researchers a new way to explore brain function by recreating conditions such as…
A recent investigation has identified new chemical signs of ancient life in rocks that formed over 3.3 billion years ago. The same research uncovered molecular evidence that oxygen-producing photosynthesis began nearly a billion years earlier than scientists once believed. Researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science led an international effort…
A widely used medication for diabetes prevention may unexpectedly interfere with one of the most reliable ways to lower disease risk: regular physical activity. A Rutgers-led team reported in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism that metformin appeared to weaken several important benefits normally gained from exercise. These include…
A growing number of people worldwide are now believed to have reduced kidney function, according to a new analysis. The number of affected individuals increased from 378 million in 1990 to 788 million in 2023. As populations have expanded and grown older, the condition has reached a point where it…
New research led by the UH Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) has greatly expanded scientists’ understanding of how Hawaiian monk seals (Neomonachus schauinslandi) produce underwater sounds. The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, examined thousands of hours of passive acoustic recordings and uncovered…
In the 17th century, astronomers Christiaan Huygens and Giovanni Cassini pointed some of the earliest telescopes at Saturn and made a surprising discovery. The bright structures around the planet were not solid extensions of the world itself, but separate rings formed from many thin, nested arcs. Centuries later, NASA’s Cassini-Huygens…
Scientists have identified an unexpected link between the way the body processes sugar and the development of alcohol addiction. This connection also points to a promising therapeutic target for treating alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). A study published in Nature Metabolism by researchers at the University…
The venom of an Amazonian scorpion species may contain a compound capable of helping treat breast cancer, a disease that remains one of the top causes of death among women. Researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Ribeirão Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP) in Brazil have pinpointed a molecule…
Many people use CBD-infused oils and lotions believing they offer an easy and relatively low-risk way to ease discomfort. However, scientists still have a limited understanding of how CBD actually interacts with the nervous system. The popularity of cannabis-based products has risen sharply over the past ten years. One major…
Chronic pain appears to play a meaningful role in raising the risk of developing high blood pressure. How long the pain lasts and where it occurs both influence that risk, and part of the connection is explained by depression and inflammation. Researchers say the results underscore how important effective pain…
A team led by the University of Oxford has uncovered an unexpected contributor to entropy in quantum timekeeping: the act of measurement itself. In findings published on November 14 in Physical Review Letters, the researchers show that the energy required to read a quantum clock is far greater than the…
Researchers used whole genome sequencing to bring together monogenic and polygenic testing, two methods that are usually separated in both research and clinical practice. Experts say many more physicians should be using genetic testing, although a large portion of the medical workforce is not yet trained to interpret it. The…
Researchers at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute have demonstrated that turning off the NRF2 gene with CRISPR technology can make lung cancer cells responsive to chemotherapy again. By blocking this gene, the treatment restores how tumors react to common cancer drugs and slows their growth. The study was published on November…
A research effort led by Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka has generated an in-depth structural map of a bacteriophage, offering new insight into how these viruses could be used to counter drug-resistant bacteria. Lead author Dr. James Hodgkinson-Bean, who completed his PhD in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, says bacteriophages are…
A new study led by the University of St Andrews reports that Critically Endangered African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) are far more likely to forage in the same waters as commercial fishing vessels during years when fish are scarce. This increased overlap heightens competition for food and intensifies pressure on a…
Researchers Kohki Horie, Keiichiro Toda, Takuma Nakamura, and Takuro Ideguchi at the University of Tokyo have created a microscope capable of detecting signals across an intensity range fourteen times broader than that of standard instruments. The system also works label-free, meaning it does not rely on added dyes. This gentle…
Listening to music after the age of 70 appears to be associated with a meaningful reduction in dementia risk. A research team from Monash University analyzed data from more than 10,800 older adults and found that people in this age group who regularly listened to music experienced a 39 percent…
