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Faulty gene linked to increased risk of punctured lung in thousands

As many as one in 3,000 people could be carrying a faulty gene that significantly increases their risk of a punctured lung, according to new estimates from Cambridge researchers. Previous estimates had put this risk closer to one in 200,000 people.

7 Apr 2025

Blocking an enzyme to overcome immunotherapy resistance in melanoma patients

About 65% of melanoma patients do not respond to immunotherapy. New work by the team of Prof. Max Mazzone (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology) discovered that an enzyme called HPGDS (expressed in a specific subset of macrophages), plays a key role in immunotherapy resistance.

7 Apr 2025

Blood test breakthrough pinpoints 70 proteins linked to asthma risk in major genetic study

Researchers used UK Biobank data to identify 70 proteins with genetically predicted roles in asthma, offering insights into disease mechanisms.

7 Apr 2025

Genetic pathways explain why some people grow tall and others stay short

A landmark review in Nature Reviews Genetics dissects the rare and common genetic variants that shape human height. The paper explains how monogenic and polygenic factors converge on key growth pathways and influence disease risk.

7 Apr 2025

Novel computational tool helps scientists detect hidden cell types behind disease

Cells throughout the body work together like singers in a choir to keep us healthy, as long as they work in perfect harmony.

7 Apr 2025

Predicting treatment failure in cutaneous leishmaniasis with precision medicine

Nearly one million people worldwide are plagued annually by cutaneous leishmaniasis, a devastating skin infection caused by the Leishmania parasite.

7 Apr 2025

High-fat diet fuels cancer spread via rogue platelets

Researchers explore the role of a high-fat diet in promoting the formation of premetastatic niches and platelet activation.

7 Apr 2025

Study: Rural cancer patients cross state lines for specialized care

In a federally funded study, researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) found that 7% of Medicare patients cross state borders for cancer care, and rates were nearly double for those who lived in rural areas.

4 Apr 2025

CRISPR tool unveils genetic drivers of blood cell maturation

Collaborative research led by investigators at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center defines a novel approach to understanding how certain proteins called transcription factors determine which genetic programs will drive cell growth and maturation.

4 Apr 2025

Study reveals the genetic arms race between X and Y sperm

In evolutionary terms, fitness is defined as an organism's ability to survive and reproduce its genes into the next generation.

4 Apr 2025

Pancreatic cells show epigenetic marks before cancerous transformation

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have found a pattern of so-called epigenetic "marks" in a transition state between normal and pancreatic cancer cells in mice, and that the normal cells may keep at least a temporary "memory" of those cancer-linked marks.

4 Apr 2025

New insights into bacterial defense mechanisms could help combat antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a global health challenge that could overtake cancer mortality within a few decades.

4 Apr 2025

Study: Jumbo phages utilize EPI vesicles to evade bacterial immune response

In a growing global trend, bacteria have evolved new ways to maneuver around medical treatments for a variety of infections. The rising antibiotic resistance crisis poses a significant public health threat in hospitals and other settings, with infections resulting in millions of deaths in recent years.

4 Apr 2025

Key cellular mechanism affecting the function of mRNA vaccines revealed

A team of researchers led by Dr. Kim V. Narry, director of the Center for RNA Research at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), has uncovered a key cellular mechanism that affects the function of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.

3 Apr 2025

New bacterial evolutionary map could lead to precision treatments for infections

The first-of-its-kind in-depth bacterial evolutionary map could pave the way for the development of precision treatments for certain antibiotic-resistant infections, such as urinary tract infections.

3 Apr 2025

Sweetener saccharin revives old antibiotics by breaking bacterial defences

Saccharin destabilizes bacterial membranes and interferes with DNA replication, causing lysis and impairing virulence traits. The sweetener also re-sensitizes multidrug-resistant pathogens to antibiotics and disrupts stubborn biofilms.

3 Apr 2025

Study links neurotensin deficiency to ovulatory dysfunction in PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents a significant health concern for women of reproductive age, manifesting as a complex endocrine disorder with diverse clinical presentations.

3 Apr 2025

New structural and mechanistic understanding for cancer drug design

A University of Iowa-led study has revealed the unexpected structure adopted by the DNA repair protein RAD52 as it binds and protects replicating DNA in dividing cells. This new structural and mechanistic understanding of the RAD52-DNA complex may help researchers develop new anti-cancer drugs.

3 Apr 2025

Genetic research offers hope for children with rare intestinal disorders

Further genetic testing would show that Sophie has one of a group of rare conditions called CODE (congenital diarrhea and enteropathies) that disrupts the function of cells in the intestine, causing diarrhea and preventing infants from absorbing the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.

3 Apr 2025

How your skin’s microbes shape immunity, inflammation, and chronic skin disease

Skin microbes do more than coexist—they shape immune responses, repair tissue, and influence gene expression across your lifespan. This review explains how disruptions in this microbiome-immune dialogue can lead to eczema, psoriasis, or acne.

2 Apr 2025