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New protein blueprint opens door for targeted Parkinson's disease therapies

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have uncovered how a key Parkinson's protein called LRRK2 shifts between inactive and active forms, revealing the structural changes that enable certain mutations to push the protein into an overactive state.

10 Aug 2026

Circular eccDNA shows potential to predict early-stage LUAD recurrence

LUAD is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer. Although surgery can be curative for patients diagnosed at an early stage, approximately 30%-50% develop recurrence or aggressive metastasis within five years.

10 Aug 2026

New human genome benchmark captures both parental copies with near-perfect accuracy

Researchers created T2T-HG002, a near-perfect diploid human genome benchmark that is free of detectable errors across 99.4% of the genome and captures both maternal and paternal haplotypes. The benchmark expands coverage into previously excluded genomic regions and provides a new framework for evaluating sequencing reads, assemblies, phased variants, and personalized genome inference.

10 Aug 2026

New USC center seeks answers to sex differences in aging

Women live longer than men in nearly every country in the world, yet they experience higher rates of disability, dementia and many other age-related conditions.

7 Aug 2026

Silencing prefrontal cortex helps mice adopt better strategies

The prefrontal cortex, a brain region long associated with learning more flexible behaviors, can sometimes block the ability to think outside the box, a new study in mice shows.

7 Aug 2026

Targeting small group of brain cells may reduce opioid addiction risk

Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine are investigating how to keep opioids' pain-relieving benefits while reducing their addictive potential. In a study published in Nature, they report a step toward that goal.

7 Aug 2026

New vaccine strategy targets overlooked regions of malaria parasite

Malaria kills more than half a million people a year, most of them young children in Africa. Two vaccines are now recommended by the World Health Organization, RTS,S and R21.

7 Aug 2026

Study uncovers molecular trigger behind pyrin inflammation in familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a hereditary autoinflammatory disease in which the body's own immune system overreacts to minimal or inappropriate stimuli, producing recurrent attacks of fever and painful inflammation.

7 Aug 2026

Researchers find a new genetic vulnerability in acute myeloid leukemia

A study published in Nature Cell Biology reports a new vulnerability in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that might lead to novel therapies to treat this cancer while minimizing harm to normal cells.

7 Aug 2026

Researchers use AI to design functional bacteriophage genomes from scratch

Using AI, researchers have designed complete, functional bacteriophage genomes from scratch and tested them against bacteria that had evolved resistance to a natural bacteriophage.

7 Aug 2026

Living near a dry cleaner may come with an unexpected Parkinson’s disease link

A nationwide case-control study of older U.S. Medicare beneficiaries found that living closer to a dry-cleaning establishment was associated with higher odds of incident Parkinson’s disease, with the strongest association among people living within 0.1 mile.

7 Aug 2026

Disrupted RNA methylation pathway accelerates Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s risks

A growing understanding of RNA biology is reshaping how scientists view the relationship between environmental toxicants, brain development, and neurodegenerative disease.

7 Aug 2026

Genetic analysis of 1 million people points to FNIP1 as a promising metabolic target

Mega-scale exome sequencing of 1,032,116 people identified 59 independent genes linked to the TG:HDL ratio, including 44 rare-coding associations not detected in the previous largest analysis. Ultra-rare FNIP1 loss-of-function variants were associated with favorable fat distribution, lower liver fat and glycemia, and around 60% lower odds of a composite cardiometabolic disease outcome.

7 Aug 2026

New study reveals genetic drivers of inherited bone marrow failure syndrome

Inherited bone marrow failure syndrome, or IBMFS, describes a group of disorders in which inherited genetic abnormalities impair the bone marrow's ability to produce sufficient healthy blood cells.

6 Aug 2026

PIWI proteins and piRNAs may unlock more effective stem cell therapies

Scientists are shedding new light on a little-known biological system that could help unlock the full potential of stem cell therapy, one of the most promising areas of modern medicine.

6 Aug 2026

New review advances understanding of biological mechanisms driving Ménière's disease

A comprehensive new review is bringing together the latest advances in Ménière's disease, offering a clearer picture of the biological mechanisms that may drive this complex inner ear disorder while highlighting new directions for diagnosis, disease modeling, and treatment.

6 Aug 2026