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Proposed policy solutions for the worldwide rise in chronic diseases

Chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, neurocognitive disorders and infertility are rising globally, with health-harming products such as fossil fuels, tobacco, ultra‑processed foods, toxic chemicals, plastics and alcohol being major contributors, say the authors of a new paper published in New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The authors include proposed solutions, including policy safeguards and a stronger research focus on the risks to health connected with corporate activity.

26 Mar 2026

New nanomaterial enhances bioimaging and targeted cancer drug delivery

The Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group (GNano) at the University of São Paulo's São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP) in Brazil has discovered a way to transform hydroxyapatite, a bioceramic material, into a nanoparticle with enhanced intrinsic luminescence.

18 Mar 2026

Preconception pesticide exposure linked to poorer newborn health outcomes

Women exposed to agricultural pesticides, even before becoming pregnant, may be putting their newborn's health at risk.

13 Mar 2026

Republicans fret over RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine policies while MAHA moms stew

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is fielding pressure from the White House to relax his controversial approach to vaccine policies as the midterms near, but his most steadfast supporters are pressing for more aggressive action — like restricting covid-19 vaccines and pesticide use — to carry out the Make America Healthy Again agenda.

12 Mar 2026

Researchers identify mechanism explaining chemical disruption of sex hormones

Researchers at the University of Oulu have identified a previously unknown mechanism in humans that may explain why certain medicines and environmental chemicals disrupt the balance of sex hormones.

11 Mar 2026

How social and environmental exposures across life influence mental health risk

Researchers outline how the exposome framework, which captures the totality of environmental exposures across the lifespan, can help explain how non-genetic factors shape mental health risk and resilience. The perspective highlights how integrating environmental, biological, and social data could improve prevention strategies, research models, and personalized mental health care.

10 Mar 2026

Melbourne’s lab-grown "skin" revolutionizes tick research

The world's first lab-based tick feeding system for bush ticks, developed by researchers at the University of Melbourne, has transformed the study of ticks and how they transmit disease. The novel, host-free technology reduces the need for animal experiments in tick studies, facilitating more ethical, reproducible research.

5 Mar 2026

Researchers propose that Parkinson’s disease may start in the gut, not the brain

A perspective in The Journal of Clinical Investigation argues that environmental exposures may interact with the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier to trigger biological processes linked to Parkinson’s disease. The authors propose that cumulative environmental stressors can erode host resilience, promoting α-synuclein pathology, immune activation, and neurodegeneration.

5 Mar 2026

SwRI advances safer manufacturing of nerve agent antidotes

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) continues to expand its unique drug synthesis capabilities and expertise to advance the scalable manufacturing of safer antidotes to combat exposure to organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNAs) and pesticides.

24 Feb 2026

Single prenatal exposure to fungicide linked to disease across 20 generations

A single exposure to a toxic fungicide during pregnancy can increase the risk of disease for 20 subsequent generations - with inherited health problems worsening many generations after exposure.

20 Feb 2026

Toxic compounds found in synthetic and natural hair extensions

Chemical analysis of hair extensions uncovers hazardous substances, emphasizing the need for improved regulation and transparency in the beauty industry.

16 Feb 2026

Genetic inheritance and life experience leave distinct epigenetic marks in immune cells

The COVID-19 pandemic gave us tremendous perspective on how wildly symptoms and outcomes can vary between patients experiencing the same infection.

29 Jan 2026

How DNA and life experiences leave distinct marks on the human immune system

Using single-cell epigenomic profiling of immune cells from 110 individuals, researchers show that genetic variation and environmental exposures shape the human immune system through distinct DNA methylation mechanisms. Genetic effects concentrate within gene bodies of memory cells, while environmental exposures primarily remodel regulatory regions in naive immune cells.

28 Jan 2026

More urban trees associated with fewer heart disease cases

A multi-institutional study led by the University of California, Davis, finds that living in urban areas with a higher percentage of visible trees is associated with a 4% decrease in cardiovascular disease.

21 Jan 2026

Mcgill researchers find unexpected chemical contaminants in human milk samples

An interdisciplinary team including researchers at McGill University has found a range of unexpected chemical contaminants in human milk samples from Canada and South Africa.

20 Jan 2026

RFK Jr.’s MAHA movement has picked up steam in statehouses. Here’s what to expect in 2026.

When one of Adam Burkhammer's foster children struggled with hyperactivity, the West Virginia legislator and his wife decided to alter their diet and remove any foods that contained synthetic dyes.

13 Jan 2026

Airport tire wear emerges as a major source of hidden air pollutants

New findings reveal Milan's airport operations release industrial chemicals, reshaping our understanding of aviation-related air pollution and benzothiazoles.

2 Jan 2026

MGI Tech empowers the University of Lisbon to study impact of Saharan dust on Portuguese agriculture with vineyards as key case study

MGI Tech partners with the University of Lisbon to monitor Saharan dust microorganisms, enhancing agricultural resilience and vineyard productivity in Portugal.

10 Dec 2025

Industrial and farm chemicals quietly alter the balance of gut microbes

This study systematically screened over 1,000 agricultural and industrial chemicals and found that many can inhibit human gut bacteria in vitro. Beyond antimicrobial effects, these chemicals act as selective pressures that can reshape microbial competition, tolerance mechanisms, and metabolic pathways.

8 Dec 2025

Sweat testing could transform drug monitoring and diabetes care

Innovative sweat sampling techniques could revolutionize diagnostics, offering insights into glucose levels and environmental toxins with minimal discomfort.

4 Dec 2025