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New technique improves detection of central nervous system infections

New research led by Aston University's Dr Ghaniah Hassan-Smith, has found a new technique to diagnose infections of the central nervous system, such as meningitis and encephalitis, which can be difficult to determine using conventional methods.

23 Sep 2026

Genetic system converts scar-forming cells into neurons to restore movement after spinal cord injury

What if cells that form scars after a spinal cord injury could become part of the repair process? Researchers have developed a genetic system that converts certain scar-forming cells into neurons, improving movement in mice and rats with spinal cord injuries.

23 Sep 2026

Scientists map a giant parasite machine to fight tropical diseases

A study conducted between the University of Liège and Rockefeller University reveals, with near-atomic precision, the three-dimensional structure and function of a gigantic molecular machine essential to the survival of trypanosomatid parasites, which cause serious diseases in humans, animals and plants.

23 Sep 2026

What links smoking, body fat, mental health, genes, and heart risk? Inflammation may be part of the answer

In a large UK Biobank study, higher levels of the chronic inflammation marker GlycA were associated with smaller heart chambers, thicker heart walls, impaired diastolic function, reduced stroke volume, and a 43% higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in the highest versus lowest GlycA group. Genetic susceptibility also modified the associations between environmental exposures, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk, while inflammatory proteins in the IL-1, TNF, and IL-6 pathways statistically mediated several of these associations.

23 Sep 2026

Blood test detects more cancers when added to standard screening

A single blood draw that screens for more than 50 cancers substantially increased cancer detection when added to standard screening, identifying cancers that otherwise might have gone undetected until later stages, according to a new study from the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute.

22 Sep 2026

BD² awards millions to study bipolar disorder mood changes

Breakthrough Discoveries for thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD²) today announced its fourth round of Discovery Research grants, totaling more than $13 million, focused on the biological mechanisms of intense mood changes, a hallmark of bipolar disorder.

22 Sep 2026

Waist-to-height ratio reliably detects chronic liver disease risk in children

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is now the most common chronic liver disease in children and adolescents, closely mirroring the global rise in childhood obesity.

22 Sep 2026

Retinal dopamine levels rise during inherited retinal degeneration

A new study by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) reports changes in the dopamine system of the retina during inherited retinal degeneration.

22 Sep 2026

Roundworm study uncovers cellular effects of kidney disease mutation

A microscopic worm that has no kidneys is helping Rutgers scientists understand a genetic change suspected of causing a serious inherited kidney disease.

21 Sep 2026

Researchers identify a rare genetic change linked to neurodevelopmental disorder

Research led by Texas Children's Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) and Baylor College of Medicine identified a rare genetic change that appears to cause a newly recognized neurodevelopmental disorder.

21 Sep 2026

KAUST researchers develop AI tool to map cell evolution

Publishing in Nature Communications, a KAUST-led team has developed the AI tool Unify to help scientists compare similar cell types across distant species.

21 Sep 2026

Cohesin protein protects genetic information during cell division

Cell division, a process fundamental to life, still holds surprises. Researchers from the University of Zurich and the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have discovered a key mechanism that allows cells to protect genetic information as they divide.

21 Sep 2026

Stalled gut microbiome development triples risk for type 1 diabetes in children

Type 1 diabetes affects more than 9 million people worldwide, including 1.8 million children and adolescents.

21 Sep 2026

Flatworm genes reveal secrets to regrowing damaged brain cells

The human brain is terrible at healing itself from injury or disease. But some animals can harness their own cellular abilities to not only repair injuries but also to regrow their brains entirely.

21 Sep 2026

High adolescent BMI linked to faster biological aging in adulthood

A study by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, found that a high adolescent body mass index (BMI) may be linked to accelerated biological aging in adulthood.

21 Sep 2026

Why might a higher BMI at 20 be linked to lower breast cancer risk later in life?

A large UK cohort study found that higher BMI at age 20 was associated with lower postmenopausal breast cancer risk, while higher BMI in later adulthood was linked to increased risk. Lower VAS percentage mammographic density appeared to explain part of the early-adulthood association, while fibroglandular volume showed a different relationship with life-course adiposity.

20 Sep 2026

Mosquito excrement offers new way to detect circulating viruses

When public health researchers want to know whether diseases such as COVID-19 or polio are circulating in a community, they can look for genetic evidence in wastewater.

18 Sep 2026

Y chromosome loss creates hidden cancer vulnerability in men

A study initiated by a University of Arizona Cancer Center physician-scientist Dr. Dan Theodorescu revealed that the loss of the Y chromosome in men's body tissue could pave the way for cancer to develop in that tissue.

18 Sep 2026

CRISPR activation library uncovers gene driving lymphoma growth and resistance

Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown gene causing resistance to a leading blood cancer drug and several genes that accelerate lymphoma growth by using a powerful new CRISPR activation library.

18 Sep 2026

Adenine base editing slows neurodegeneration in hereditary motor neuron disease

A team of researchers led by Professor Haruhisa Inoue (Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University) and Professor Yuishin Izumi (Tokushima University) demonstrated that adenine base editing can correct a disease-causing genetic mutation and alleviate neurodegeneration in hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominant involvement (HMSN-P), providing proof of concept for a precision gene therapy for inherited motor neuron diseases.

18 Sep 2026