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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

Brain cell precursors show constant myelin-making drive

In experiments with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report new evidence that precursors of myelin-producing cells - one of the few brain cell types that continue to be produced in the adult brain - undergo differentiation widely and at a constant pace, rather than "as needed" in response to injury or advancing age.

22 Jan 2026

Discovery explains why people with IBD have higher risk of colorectal cancer

A chain of immune reactions in the gut—driven by a key signaling protein and a surge of white blood cells from the bone marrow—may help explain why people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of colorectal cancer, according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

22 Jan 2026

Facial wound secrets revealed for scarless repair

Tweaking a pattern of wound healing established millions of years ago may enable scar-free injury repair after surgery or trauma, Stanford Medicine researchers have found.

22 Jan 2026

Methionine: A dietary key to surviving infection

As soon as you are wounded-whether from grabbing a hot pan or contracting the flu-you begin a unique journey through variable symptoms toward either recovery or death.

22 Jan 2026

Researchers decipher a key mechanism that controls pancreatic cancer growth

Could this mark a shift in how we think about cancer therapy? At least in the laboratory, evidence suggests it may be.

22 Jan 2026

Expert guidance on fecal microbiota transplantation in liver disease

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining host health and liver function. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), an emerging therapeutic modality, has demonstrated promising potential in the treatment of chronic liver diseases.

22 Jan 2026

Myosteatosis: An emerging predictor of outcomes in chronic liver disease

Myosteatosis, the pathological infiltration of fat into skeletal muscle, is increasingly recognized as a key predictor of poor clinical outcomes across a spectrum of liver diseases.

22 Jan 2026

Unfolding the role of Hsp70 chaperones in neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affect millions of people worldwide, yet treatments remain largely limited to symptom management.

22 Jan 2026

Researchers develop protocol to create functional acinar cells in organoids

Organoids are three-dimensional miniature models of organs, grown in a dish.

21 Jan 2026

Study shows DHPS enzyme controls macrophage maturation across multiple organs

A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that an enzyme involved in protein translation is essential for circulating immune cells, called monocytes, to mature into tissue-resident macrophages, a specialized population of immune cells that maintain organ health by clearing dead cells and debris.

21 Jan 2026

AI predicts health outcomes for premature newborns from blood samples

An artificial intelligence-based tool can predict the medical trajectories of individual premature newborns from blood samples collected soon after they are born, a Stanford Medicine-led study has shown.

21 Jan 2026

New chip-based test could revolutionize blood transfusions

A new, fast and easy test could revolutionize blood transfusions-giving blood centers and hospitals a reliable way to monitor the quality of red blood cells after they sit for weeks in storage.

21 Jan 2026

Study reveals immune traffic controller hijacked by common virus

In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers from Monash University and the Lions Eye Institute have discovered a tissue protein that acts as a central 'traffic controller' for immune cells and can be hijacked by a virus to weaken immune responses.

21 Jan 2026

Newly discovered survival pathway explains stubborn EGFR-driven lung cancers

Scientists from A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (A*STAR IMCB) have identified why certain lung cancer cells become highly resistant to treatment after developing mutations in a key gene called EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor).

21 Jan 2026

Shingles vaccination is linked to slower biological aging in older adults

This population-based study of U.S. adults aged 70 and older found that shingles vaccination was associated with slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, as well as lower systemic inflammation. No significant associations were observed for neurodegeneration or cardiovascular biomarkers, highlighting domain-specific molecular effects rather than broad clinical changes.

21 Jan 2026

NuSHs can be a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing MASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progressive form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), represent the most common chronic liver diseases in Western populations, driven largely by obesity and insulin resistance.

21 Jan 2026

Rice’s SynthX Center leads interdisciplinary effort to tackle rare lymphatic disorders

Rice University's SynthX Center, directed by Han Xiao, has received an up to five-year, $18 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Lymphatic Imaging, Genomics and pHenotyping Technologies (LIGHT) program to develop innovative solutions for lymphatic diseases.

20 Jan 2026

Far-red light suppresses biofilm formation and virulence in pathogenic bacteria

Light is a universal stimulus that influences all living things. Cycles of light and dark help set the biological clocks for organisms ranging from single-celled bacteria to human beings.

20 Jan 2026

COVID-19 severity is linked to changes in mitochondrial DNA methylation

This study examined mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial DNA methylation in Indian patients with severe COVID-19 and found region-specific differential methylation linked to disease severity. Pathway analyses and protein assays implicated disrupted mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics, suggesting a role for mitochondrial epigenetic regulation in COVID-19 pathophysiology.

20 Jan 2026

Algae may help meet future protein demand without straining the planet

This narrative review evaluates clinical evidence on algae and algal proteins as sustainable, nutrient-dense food sources with high protein quality and bioactive compounds. Findings suggest potential benefits for muscle protein synthesis, cardiometabolic markers, immune modulation, and antioxidant status, while emphasizing heterogeneity, short-term data, and the need for longer clinical trials.

20 Jan 2026