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Viruses eavesdrop on signals but risk making harmful decisions

Viruses can "eavesdrop" on each other using chemical signals – but it can backfire for the eavesdropper, new research shows.

31 Mar 2026

Breathing in common disinfectant chemicals may be more harmful than oral ingestion

Breathing in common disinfectant chemicals known as quaternary ammonium compounds, or QACs, may be far more harmful than swallowing them, according to a mouse study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis.

30 Mar 2026

Short bursts of vigorous activity can lower risk of major diseases

People who get just a few minutes of vigorous activity daily are less likely to develop eight major diseases, including arthritis, heart disease and dementia, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Monday).

29 Mar 2026

Proposed policy solutions for the worldwide rise in chronic diseases

Chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, neurocognitive disorders and infertility are rising globally, with health-harming products such as fossil fuels, tobacco, ultra‑processed foods, toxic chemicals, plastics and alcohol being major contributors, say the authors of a new paper published in New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The authors include proposed solutions, including policy safeguards and a stronger research focus on the risks to health connected with corporate activity.

26 Mar 2026

Study identifies rare genetic disorder linked to premature aging and cognition

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and an international team of collaborators have defined a new genetic disease marked by premature aging and deficits in brain function.

24 Mar 2026

U.S. study links ultra-processed foods to lower odds of fertility

A cross-sectional NHANES study of 2,582 U.S. women found that higher ultra-processed food intake was associated with lower odds of being classified as fertile based on self-reported infertility history. Greater Mediterranean diet adherence was linked to higher odds of fertility in adjusted models, but that association was no longer significant after accounting for obesity.

22 Mar 2026

Early-life PFAS exposure may hinder adolescent bone development

Early-life exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may influence how children's bones develop during adolescence, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

17 Mar 2026

Preconception pesticide exposure linked to poorer newborn health outcomes

Women exposed to agricultural pesticides, even before becoming pregnant, may be putting their newborn's health at risk.

13 Mar 2026

Cambridge’s LED breakthrough reinvents drug synthesis

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new way to alter complex drug molecules using light rather than toxic chemicals – a discovery that could accelerate and improve how medicines are designed and made.

13 Mar 2026

Republicans fret over RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine policies while MAHA moms stew

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is fielding pressure from the White House to relax his controversial approach to vaccine policies as the midterms near, but his most steadfast supporters are pressing for more aggressive action — like restricting covid-19 vaccines and pesticide use — to carry out the Make America Healthy Again agenda.

12 Mar 2026

Researchers identify mechanism explaining chemical disruption of sex hormones

Researchers at the University of Oulu have identified a previously unknown mechanism in humans that may explain why certain medicines and environmental chemicals disrupt the balance of sex hormones.

11 Mar 2026

Japan's famous matcha could reduce sneezing in people with nasal allergies

There's now another reason to love Japan's famous matcha: a study in mice suggests that the green tea powder could reduce the need to sneeze in people with nasal allergies.

11 Mar 2026

Photoreceptor cells can recover from early stages of cell death

Photoreceptors are specialized cells in the eye that convert light energy into neural signals.

11 Mar 2026

How somatic mutations shape disease and reveal new drug targets

Researchers reviewed how somatic mutations accumulate in normal and diseased tissues, showing that natural selection can expand clones that influence disease risk, tissue adaptation, or cellular resilience. The study proposes somatic genomics as a powerful strategy to uncover disease mechanisms and identify new therapeutic targets across multiple conditions.

8 Mar 2026

No evidence probiotic skincare can improve mood

Current findings reveal no support for emotional benefits from probiotic cosmetics, highlighting the need for further investigation into neurocosmetics.

5 Mar 2026

New research initiative aims to predict and prevent diseases before they start

What if doctors could tell you a disease was coming years before you felt a single symptom-and stop it in its tracks? That is the goal of a sweeping new research initiative launched by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in collaboration with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF).

2 Mar 2026

Middle-aged men most vulnerable to aging effects of new PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – 'forever chemicals' in common parlance – are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals often used in non-stick coatings, water-resistant fabrics, fire-fighting foams, food packages, cleaning products, and plastics.

26 Feb 2026