Spleen News and Research

RSS

Wnt signaling in fibroblasts drives gastric cancer metastasis to the liver

Researchers at the Cancer Research Institute and the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have uncovered a critical mechanism that enables gastric cancer to spread to distant organs.

6 Mar 2026

Satellite livers could provide booster function for patients awaiting transplants

More than 10,000 Americans who suffer from chronic liver disease are on a waitlist for a liver transplant, but there are not enough donated organs for all of those patients.

4 Mar 2026

Genetic switch MafB enables macrophages to reach full maturity and preserve organ health

Researchers at the University of Liège have identified a key genetic regulator that enables macrophages to reach full maturity and preserve the health of our organs.

26 Feb 2026

Long-term cola intake weakens immune cell counts in controlled rat study

Replacing drinking water entirely with sugar-sweetened or sugar-free cola for eight weeks altered gut microbiota composition and immune-related indices in rats, despite no changes in body weight or blood glucose. Both beverages were associated with leukocyte reductions and organ-related biochemical shifts, with sugar-sweetened cola more strongly linked to renal markers and diet cola to elevated liver enzymes.

25 Feb 2026

$8.7 million award supports faster genetic diagnosis of lymphatic diseases

A team of researchers led by Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has been awarded an up to two-year $8.7 million contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to create genetic tests to speed the diagnosis of patients born with defects in the lymphatic system.

19 Feb 2026

Non-native birds drive widespread avian malaria transmission in Hawaii

New research on avian malaria, which has decimated Hawaii's beloved birds, explains how non-native birds play a key role in transmission and contribute to the widespread distribution of the disease.

10 Feb 2026

Long-term omeprazole use linked to mineral imbalance risks

A study conducted in Brazil by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) and the ABC Medical School (FMABC) warns that the prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can impair nutrient absorption.

9 Feb 2026

Inhibiting PTP1B protein improves memory in Alzheimer’s disease models

Alzheimer's disease is often measured in statistics: millions affected worldwide, cases rising sharply, costs climbing into the trillions.

5 Feb 2026

Immune system dysfunction may fuel progressive heart failure after heart attacks

When the heart's muscle is weakened or injured due to a heart attack, it can make it hard for the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.

27 Jan 2026

Targeted uterine mRNA treatment boosts fertility outcomes in mice

Researchers from the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine Center for Nanomedicine - which designs nanotechnology-based platforms for clinical translation across specialties - developed a strategy for delivering therapeutic messenger RNA (mRNA) to the inner lining of the uterus (endometrium) in mice via modified lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which are small capsules made of fatty molecules.

22 Jan 2026

Bio-detection dogs can sniff out hemangiosarcoma

Cancer is a leading cause of death in both humans and pets; studies suggest that between one-third and one-half of all dogs will develop cancer during their lifetime.

20 Jan 2026

Bowel preparation for colonoscopies may temporarily alter gut balance, preclinical study suggests

New preclinical research suggests that bowel preparation procedures for colonoscopies may temporarily alter gut balance, culminating in unappreciated effects in patients with compromised gastrointestinal health.

8 Jan 2026

Spleen-driven immune tolerance may protect transplanted organs

New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School offers a new view of how the immune system responds to organ transplants.

7 Jan 2026

New breakthrough could modernize treatment for glioblastoma

Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy have made a breakthrough that could modernize treatment for glioblastoma, a fast-growing and deadly form of brain cancer.

6 Jan 2026

Prebiotic microcapsules deliver pterostilbene to the colon to alleviate ulcerative colitis

A team led by clinicians and engineers has wrapped the plant-derived polyphenol pterostilbene (PSB) into prebiotic alginate/resistant-starch microcapsules coated with chitosan and shown that oral administration dampens dextran-sulfate-sodium (DSS) colitis in mice.

23 Dec 2025

Whole-body imaging reveals where drugs bind at single-cell resolution

When you take a drug, where in your body does it actually go? For most medications, scientists can make only educated guesses about the answer to this question.

22 Dec 2025

Frog-derived bacteria offer dual-action anticancer effects and high safety

A research team of Prof. Eijiro Miyako at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) has discovered that the bacterium Ewingella americana, isolated from the intestines of Japanese tree frogs (Dryophytes japonicus), possesses remarkably potent anticancer activity. This groundbreaking research has been published in the international journal Gut Microbes.

16 Dec 2025

First-of-its-kind mRNA system switches on therapeutic genes inside targeted cells

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a first-of-its-kind mRNA system that switches on therapeutic genes preferentially inside targeted cells-an advance demonstrated in studies in mice that could lay the groundwork for safer, more precise treatments for cancer and other diseases.

16 Dec 2025

Poor dietary iron weakens lung memory T cells after flu infection

Dietary iron deficiency in mice alters lung T cell activation during influenza infection and leads to memory T cells that are present in normal or increased numbers but have impaired antiviral cytokine responses. These functional deficits are most pronounced in lung CD8-positive memory T cells and persist even under optimal recall conditions.

8 Dec 2025

Study finds GLP-1 drugs improve strength and reverse aging biology in mice

Researchers showed that GLP-1 receptor agonism counteracts aging across multiple organs in mice, improving strength and reversing molecular aging signatures without meaningful effects on body weight. These benefits depended largely on hypothalamic GLP-1R signaling and closely mirrored the anti-aging patterns produced by rapamycin.

23 Nov 2025