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Study links inherited genetics to cancer susceptibility and progression

Scientists have found the first direct evidence of the powerful role our genetic makeup plays in influencing our risk of cancer, with inherited genes interacting with acquired genetic mutations to shape how tumors evolve.

26 Jul 2026

CRISPR directs layered immune response against invading bacteriophages

The main function of CRISPR-Cas systems, the revolutionary tool scientists now employ to edit genes, is to defend bacteria against threats such as viruses called bacteriophages.

24 Jul 2026

Global database strengthens monitoring of coastal microbial health risks

A new global database brings together information on disease-causing microorganisms, antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors in coastal waters, giving researchers and public health professionals a practical tool for assessing biological risks in estuaries and other nearshore environments.

24 Jul 2026

Iowa State study identifies potential new target for leukemia treatment

In leukemia's most aggressive forms, the blood cell factories in our bone marrow falter. Instead of dividing and multiplying at their usual prolific pace, generating hundreds of billions of new cells daily, some precursor cells stall out at an immature stage.

24 Jul 2026

Inherited genetics can influence safety and success of CAR-T cell therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, which reprograms an individual's immune cells to seek out and destroy certain cancer cells, has revolutionized treatment for blood cancers such as lymphoma.

24 Jul 2026

Taiwan Biobank data reveals ongoing natural selection in living humans

For more than a century, scientists have sought to reconstruct human evolution using diverse lines of evidence, including fossils, genetic variation across populations, and ancient DNA.

24 Jul 2026

Two interconnected signaling pathways drive papillary thyroid carcinoma progression

A new research perspective was published in Volume 13 of Oncoscience on June 3, 2026, titled "The dual axis of tumorigenesis: MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways in papillary thyroid carcinoma."

24 Jul 2026

Scientists discover master molecular switch for ginseng saponin production

Sanchi ginseng (Panax notoginseng) is a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine, prized for its saponins-bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, and anticancer properties.

24 Jul 2026

Scientists create programmable immune receptors for disease-resistant crops

Crop production faces threats from plant pathogens. Traditional disease-resistance breeding relies heavily on natural plant resistance genes that encode immune receptors adapted to particular pathogens.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals how DNA misfolding causes congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in 100 babies born each year. One of the many causes for this disorder is having only one functional copy of the gene TBX5, instead of two healthy copies, inherited from parents.

23 Jul 2026

Researchers link genome folding to gene activity and brain tissue organization in Alzheimer's

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Washington shed new light on Alzheimer's disease that could point to new directions for treatment.

23 Jul 2026

Compact genetic switch enables targeted gene therapy for epilepsy

Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide, making it one of the most common neurological disorders.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals unexpected mechanism driving extreme antibiotic resistance

A patient with a severe infection is prescribed a potent antibiotic. Hopes for improvement are high, but just after treatment is given, resistance to the drug increases thousands of times. How could this happen?

23 Jul 2026

Short-term immunosuppressive therapy briefly restores autism-like brain changes in adult mice

A new mouse study led by UCLA Health suggests that inflammation during pregnancy can trigger autism-like changes in offspring, but also that those brain and behavior effects may be rapidly but temporarily reversible in adulthood with a short-term dose of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin.

23 Jul 2026

Dormant melanocytes found in vitiligo offer hope for future repigmentation therapies

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes, the cells that produce the skin pigment melanin. Once the melanocytes are gone, the skin turns white, leading to the characteristic skin patches of the disease.

23 Jul 2026

Thymulin curbs age-related inflammation and slows breast tumors in mice

Thymulin reduced age-associated inflammatory myeloid cells and slowed breast-tumor growth in aged mice by suppressing NF-κB signaling. The peptide also restored anti-PD-L1 responsiveness in aged mouse models, while human cell and tumor data supported an age-linked inflammatory myeloid profile.

23 Jul 2026

DNA enhancer hubs control cancer genes in prostate tumors

Enhancers are pieces of DNA that act like switches, regulating when genes are turned on and off and how strongly they are activated.

22 Jul 2026

Former smokers retain lasting lung damage despite quitting

A new study by a team of McGill researchers could help explain why people who have quit smoking remain at elevated risk of lung disease long after their last cigarette.

22 Jul 2026

Occult hepatitis B mutations drive liver cancer growth via Akt mTOR pathway

Occult hepatitis B virus (OBI) infection presents a significant global health challenge, notoriously flying under the radar of standard viral screening while relentlessly driving the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

22 Jul 2026

Red meat intake emerges as a potential pancreatic cancer risk factor

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies involving nearly 2 million participants found that higher red meat intake was associated with a modestly higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Processed meat intake showed no statistically significant association, although variation between studies means a small effect cannot be excluded.

22 Jul 2026