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New study frames altered protein modifications as cancer drivers

Cancer has often been explained through mutations in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or changes in ribonucleic acid (RNA), but these layers do not fully explain why tumors with similar genetic profiles can behave differently.

9 Jun 2026

Three decades of progress since the discovery of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase

A new review was published in Volume 18 of Aging on May 15, 2026, titled "Blue period – features of senescence 30 years after beta-galactosidase."

5 Jun 2026

Ancient Y chromosome gene UTY retains regulatory function in humans

The study, published in Volume 153, Issue 9 of the journal Development on May 14, 2026, by The Company of Biologists, is the first to precisely map endogenous UTY occupancy across the human genome and demonstrate that UTY remains functionally involved in transcriptional regulation during early human development.

5 Jun 2026

Novel technology maps single-cell DNA-protein interactions

A new technology allows scientists to map, in single cells, the DNA binding sites of transcription factors and other regulatory proteins that control gene activity, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the New York Genome Center.

4 Jun 2026

Jumping genes help strengthen the mammalian Y chromosome

The humble Y chromosome may be the smallest chromosome in the mammalian genome (and getting even smaller), but it is mighty: genes on the Y chromosome are critical for fertility in males.

1 Jun 2026

Scientists uncover shared gene signatures that reveal how mammals age

Researchers mapped more than 11,000 transcriptomes across mice, rats, macaques, and humans, revealing conserved molecular signatures of aging and mortality across tissues, species, and cell types. The study developed interpretable transcriptomic clocks that track age, mortality-related molecular change, chronic disease signals and responses to lifespan-altering interventions.

29 May 2026

Gut microbiome metabolite butyrate relieves chronic jaw joint pain

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain is associated with disrupted gut microbiome metabolites. Researchers reveal that butyrate, administered as tributyrin, alleviates pain by restoring histone acetylation and reversing gene regulatory changes in the brain.

18 May 2026

Regular arts and physical activity linked to slower aging

Research shows that leisure activities, including arts engagement and physical exercise, are linked to slower epigenetic aging and improved health outcomes.

14 May 2026

Tracking the aging process across tens of millions of individual cells

While much is mysterious about the aging process, change over time remains its cornerstone. The biological shifts that accompany aging seemingly occur in many cells in the body.

13 May 2026

Dual-pathway protein degradation approach could improve cancer treatment

Targeted protein degradation has become one of the most promising strategies in modern drug discovery, enabling scientists to eliminate disease-causing proteins instead of merely blocking them.

12 May 2026

GADD45B promotes apoptosis in intestinal injury through DNA demethylation

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathophysiological phenomenon that is widely present in various primary intestinal diseases and systemic critical illnesses, potentially leading to multiple organ dysfunction and failure, with high morbidity and mortality.

5 May 2026

Food timing may shape how T cells respond to infection and therapy

Short-term nutritional state can reshape T cell metabolism, with post-meal lipid metabolism enhancing T cell metabolic capacity, cytokine production, and persistence after activation. The study identifies triglyceride-rich chylomicrons as key drivers of this effect, suggesting nutritional timing may matter for immune monitoring, vaccination research, and cell-therapy manufacturing.

30 Apr 2026

Study shows eIF4G2 gene maintains adult intestinal stem cell identity

Years before he conducted the research that would earn him a Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, was a postdoctoral scientist at Gladstone Institutes, studying genes.

30 Apr 2026

How multi-omics is changing what scientists can see in the human immune system

Human systems immunology is using multi-omics, single-cell tools, spatial technologies, and AI to decode immune responses across real-world human cohorts. The review highlights major opportunities for biomarker discovery and precision medicine, while stressing the need for rigorous study design, validation, and careful interpretation.

29 Apr 2026

The heart's constant beating suppresses tumor growth in cardiac tissues

The heart's constant beating may actively suppress tumor growth in cardiac tissues, a new study reports. This is because cellular pathways in these tissues alter gene regulation in cancer cells to keep them from proliferating.

25 Apr 2026

Molecular map reveals how Down syndrome alters brain development

Scientists at UCLA have created one of the first cellular-resolution molecular maps detailing how Down syndrome alters human brain development before birth - a resource that resolves longstanding contradictions in the field and could lay the groundwork for future therapeutic strategies.

25 Apr 2026

Metastatic cells can be identified within primary breast tumors

Understanding which cells within a tumor will go on to form metastases remains one of the major challenges in cancer research.

20 Apr 2026

Key gene variants tied to developmental dysplasia of the hip and osteoarthritis

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a polygenetic disorder that increases the risk of hip osteoarthritis.

17 Apr 2026

Epigenetic changes allow cancer cells to shift identity and survive drugs

Cancer drugs are designed to shut tumors down. But sometimes, in the very act of attacking a tumor, treatment can also help a small fraction of cancer cells become harder to kill. A new study from researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) shows that cancer cells may begin escaping therapy much earlier - as the therapy itself triggers a stress response that drives some cancer cells into a temporary drug-tolerant state.

16 Apr 2026

Researchers discover how stress signals weaken the aging immune system

As we age, our ability to maintain healthy blood and a strong immune system gradually declines, largely because hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells responsible for producing all blood cell types, begin to lose their effectiveness. Normally, HSCs can both self-renew and generate a balanced mix of blood cells, but over time they produce fewer new cells, favor certain cells such as myeloid cells over lymphoid cells, and struggle to support a robust immune response.

16 Apr 2026