Receptor News and Research

RSS

Scientists reveal why common pancreatic precancer lesions rarely turn deadly

Spatial and single-cell analyses of human donor pancreata showed that PanIN epithelial cells gradually acquire cancer-like molecular features, while their surrounding stromal and immune environment remains closer to normal pancreatic tissue. The findings suggest that delayed or incomplete microenvironmental reprogramming may help explain why most PanIN lesions remain indolent rather than progressing to pancreatic cancer.

24 May 2026

Scientists map genetic variants behind prostate cancer therapy failure

Recently, the research group led by Dr. Dechao Feng, Lecturer at University College London (UCL) and Distinguished Research Fellow at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, published a review entitled "Intratumoral Androgens and Genetic Variants Driving Therapy Resistance in Prostate Cancer".

22 May 2026

Harvard researchers outline roadmap to solve orphan receptor challenge

A new review highlights how synthetic biology, AI, and spatial omics could transform ligand-receptor discovery from one-by-one searches into network-level mapping.

22 May 2026

Targeting lipid enzymes triggers starvation states in aggressive tumor cells

While many American adults are trying to reduce cholesterol levels, certain cancerous tumors have a relentless appetite for the metabolite.

22 May 2026

NIH researchers discover how weight-loss drugs alter brain cells

A team of researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have unveiled new details about the events GLP-1 receptor agonists trigger within neurons, which have been largely unexplored until now.

22 May 2026

Explainable AI could make breast cancer drug predictions safer and clearer

AI-driven genomic analysis could help researchers identify existing drugs that may be repurposed for subtype-specific breast cancer treatment. The review proposes an interpretability-driven framework that links multi-omics data, mechanistic validation, and clinical translation to make AI predictions more transparent and clinically useful.

22 May 2026

Could blocking inflammation help treat difficult-to-treat depression?

A small proof-of-concept RCT found that tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor blocker, showed a non-significant but clinically suggestive pattern of improvement in difficult-to-treat depression linked to low-grade inflammation. The study found that baseline hs-CRP, rather than IL-6, may help identify patients most likely to respond, supporting larger trials of immune-targeted depression care.

22 May 2026

AI-created miniproteins show promise for targeting hard-to-treat diseases

G protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs, sit in the plasma membrane, the boundary that defines the inside and outside of a living cell. They communicate with nearly every physiological process in our bodies - from the ability to see and smell, to sensing of adrenaline, insulin, nutrients and medicines.

21 May 2026

Oral drug improves platelet recovery during chemotherapy in gastrointestinal cancer patients

An oral medication already approved for thrombocytopenia in patients with liver disease significantly improved platelet recovery and helped patients with gastrointestinal cancers maintain platelet counts needed to continue chemotherapy as scheduled, according to results from a phase 2 clinical trial led by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Mass General Hospital.

21 May 2026

Vitamin B12 analog targets deadly brain cancer cells

A new research paper was published in Volume 13 of Oncoscience on April 2, 2026, titled "Selective blood–brain barrier penetration and tumor targeting of nitrosylcobalamin in glioblastoma: Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and synergistic activity with trail and temozolomide."

21 May 2026

Scientists discover how vitamin K pathway regulates bone remodeling

Bone is continuously renewed through a process known as bone remodeling, in which osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) build new bone, while osteoclasts (bone-resorbing cells) remove older mineralized tissue.

21 May 2026

Oral AD109 improves sleep apnea severity but tolerability remains a challenge

AD109, an investigational once-daily oral combination of aroxybutynin and atomoxetine, significantly improved airway obstruction and oxygenation in adults with mild-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea who could not use PAP therapy. However, symptom improvements did not clearly differ from placebo, and about one in five AD109 recipients discontinued treatment due to adverse events.

21 May 2026

Polymer-based immunotherapies enhance tumor targeting and immune activation

Conventional immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, can reinvigorate T cells but typically benefit less than 30% of patients.

21 May 2026

GLP-1 drugs may help curb addiction by targeting reward pathways

GLP-1 receptor agonists, already used for Type 2 diabetes and obesity, show promise in reducing alcohol and drug-seeking behaviors through central reward and dopamine-related pathways. Most evidence remains preclinical, with limited early human data, so larger clinical trials are needed before these drugs can be recommended for addiction treatment.

21 May 2026

Researchers track genetic changes in Brazil's rare Sabiá virus

The Sabiá virus causes an acute hemorrhagic and neurological syndrome. Four fatal cases have been recorded in the state of São Paulo since 1990.

20 May 2026

Positional therapy trains sleep apnea patients for long-term recovery

Positional therapy can be a long-lasting and effective treatment for patients with positional obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to research presented at the 2026 ATS International Conference.

20 May 2026

Early CPAP nonadherence does not predict long-term treatment failure

Many insurers stop covering continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP devices if patients don't use them regularly in the first 90 days.

20 May 2026

Fatty liver disease linked to higher risk of heart attacks

Researchers at Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute found that people with hepatic steatosis, commonly called "fatty liver disease," have a higher amount of noncalcified, rupture-prone coronary plaque and face nearly twice the rate of cardiovascular events compared to those without steatosis.

20 May 2026

Higher ferritin threshold could detect childhood iron deficiency much earlier

Many cases of iron deficiency in school-aged children could be diagnosed earlier, according to a new study published in Blood Red Cells & Iron, a journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

20 May 2026