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Woman with rare genetic disorder delivers healthy baby after complex pregnancy

When Jessica Johnson, 36, began to experience labored breathing and heart palpitations, she quickly made an appointment to see a cardiologist.

11 May 2025

New human ovaroid model offers insight into infertility and differences in sex development

A new model of tiny human ovary organoids, or ovaroids, has been developed from stem cells, according to research presented at the first Joint Congress between the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE).

11 May 2025

Blocking LSD1 restores immune response in early oral cancer

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and early detection is key to improving patient outcomes. However, the mechanisms driving the transition from preneoplastic lesions to full-blown cancer are not well understood.

11 May 2025

Newly identified gene mutation causes severe form of Fanconi anemia

Fanconi anemia is an aggressive, life-threatening disorder. Most individuals living with this rare genetic condition, characterized by bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition, survive into adulthood only with bone marrow transplantation and regular cancer screening.

11 May 2025

Targeting METTL3 may offer new hope for oral cancer treatment

A new research paper was published in Oncotarget, Volume 16, on May 8, 2025, titled "METTL3 promotes oral squamous cell carcinoma by regulating miR-146a-5p/SMAD4 axis."

11 May 2025

Delayed puberty in boys raises risk of type 2 diabetes later in life, study shows

A large Israeli study found that boys who experience delayed puberty are significantly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in early adulthood. This increased risk persists even after accounting for body weight, socio-economic status, and other confounding factors.

10 May 2025

Machine learning model guides smarter gene selection in newborn screening

More than a decade ago, researchers launched the BabySeq Project, a pilot program to return newborn genomic sequencing results to parents and measure the effects on newborn care.

10 May 2025

Gum disease bacterium linked to increased risk of atrial fibrillation

Tempted to skip the floss? Your heart might thank you if you don't. A new study from Hiroshima University (HU) finds that the gum disease bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) can slip into the bloodstream and infiltrate the heart.

10 May 2025

Parental genes found to play role in child outcomes without direct inheritance

Parents' genes - even when not directly inherited by a child - may play a role in their educational and mental health outcomes, finds a new report by UCL researchers.

9 May 2025

New QR4 model identifies hidden risk factors in cardiovascular disease

Collaborative research, led from the University of Oxford and published today in Nature Medicine, has developed a new tool called QR4 that more accurately predicts an individual's 10-year risk of cardiovascular diseases, like heart disease and stroke, particularly identifying high-risk patients that current prediction tools miss.

9 May 2025

Why your baby’s first steps may be written in their DNA

Researchers identified 11 genetic loci linked to the age at which infants start walking, revealing that this milestone is influenced by thousands of common genetic variants. These genetic factors also correlate with brain development, cognitive traits, and neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD.

8 May 2025

St. Jude Children's scientists use brain organoids to study rare encephalopathy

While extremely rare, encephalopathy (a condition affecting brain function) triggered by mutations in the UBA5 gene has devastating impacts, with affected individuals reaching few developmental milestones and experiencing frequent and early-onset seizures.

8 May 2025

Long-acting HIV drug emerges from decades of research and advocacy

In the hunt for a remedy, when the baton is passed from dedicated academic scientists to an innovative company to trusted community advocates, outcomes for society can be especially powerful.

8 May 2025

Vitamin supplement slows glaucoma progression in animal studies

A vitamin supplement that improves metabolism in the eye appears to slow down damage to the optic nerve in glaucoma.

8 May 2025

Wildlife trade, not bats, likely moved the ancestors of SARS-CoV-2 to humans

New genetic analyses reveal that the bat virus ancestors of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 likely circulated in Western China or Northern Laos just years before human outbreaks. Their rapid appearance thousands of kilometers away suggests wildlife trade, not bat migration, was the likely transmission path.

8 May 2025

Ovary and fallopian tube removal linked to lower death risk in BRCA carriers with breast cancer

Women diagnosed with breast cancer who carry particular BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic variants are offered surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes as this dramatically reduces their risk of ovarian cancer.

8 May 2025

Study reveals potential new strategy to prevent or slow progression of Type 1 diabetes

A study co-led by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers presents a potential new strategy to prevent or slow the progression of Type 1 diabetes by targeting an inflammation-related protein known to drive the disease.

7 May 2025

Macrophages take center stage in liver healing after injury

The liver is famous for its remarkable ability to regenerate, but that healing power depends heavily on the actions of its resident immune cells. A new study spotlights macrophages, the liver's cleanup and repair specialists, revealing that these cells quickly adapt after injury to clear debris and support tissue recovery.

7 May 2025

Scientists build world's most accessible gut bacteria collection to unlock health and disease clues

Researchers have developed the Human Intestinal Bacteria Collection (HiBC), comprising 340 gut bacterial strains from 198 species, including 29 newly described taxa, made publicly available for functional microbiome research.

7 May 2025

AI identifies brain cell types through electrical signatures

A decades-old challenge in neuroscience has been solved by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the electrical signatures of different types of brain cells for the first time, as part of a study in mice led by researchers from UCL.

7 May 2025