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Psychological traits may uncover why Alzheimer’s biology differs between patients

In 822 deceased older adults from ROS and MAP, researchers linked stable psychological traits to multi-omic molecular subtypes of Alzheimer’s dementia using postmortem brain tissue from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Neuroticism and loneliness were associated with molecular progression, while purpose in life showed subtype-specific inverse associations, suggesting psychological traits may align with Alzheimer’s biology beyond conventional neuropathology.

22 Jun 2026

Statins may trigger muscle side effects by activating inflammatory danger signals

An experimental study in Science Advances shows that statins, primarily fluvastatin in these experiments, may promote low-level muscle myopathy by reducing isoprenoid-dependent protein prenylation rather than by cholesterol lowering. In primed muscle cells and mouse models, impaired YAP signaling, reduced glycolysis, NLRP3/caspase-1 activation, and nuclear FOXO accumulation increased atrogin-1, reduced protein synthesis, and weakened muscle function.

22 Jun 2026

Scientists trace cardiac aging to a fading regulator in heart muscle cells

Researchers mapped 442,239 single nuclei from nonfailing human hearts to chart how cardiac cells change from fetal development to older adulthood. The study identified PRDM16 as an age-declining cardiomyocyte regulator, with experimental evidence showing that restoring Prdm16 in aged mouse hearts improved systolic function and partly reversed aging-associated transcriptional patterns.

22 Jun 2026

Using the mathematics of quantum mechanics to improve neuroblastoma outcomes

For a child diagnosed with neuroblastoma-the most common infant cancer, occurring when early nerve cells grow out of control-the path to treatment isn't simple.

22 Jun 2026

Optimized proximity labeling platform tracks cellular protein communication networks

The body's organs are in constant communication. Fat tissue tells the liver when to store or release energy, the immune system signals localized inflammation, and thousands of proteins carry these messages to organs throughout the body.

22 Jun 2026

Study links genes and sleep habits to Alzheimer's risk

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has discovered an important link between our genes and sleep habits, suggesting they work together to influence early brain and cognitive changes associated with Alzheimer's Disease, long before symptoms appear.

22 Jun 2026

Mount Sinai study connects social determinants of health to disease risks

A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai shows that social determinants of health-including environmental conditions, health behaviors, access to resources, and social well-being-can play an equally important or even greater role than genetics in predicting a person's risk of developing common diseases.

22 Jun 2026

GATA6 loss transforms colorectal cancer cells into metastatic states

Loss of GATA6-a transcription factor that controls which genes are turned on or off-can reprogram colorectal cancer cells into more primitive, adaptable states that can then spread to the liver and establish new tumors, according to Weill Cornell Medicine and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers.

22 Jun 2026

Novel gene network approach reveals new schizophrenia risk genes

Scientists have long known that schizophrenia runs in families, but pinpointing exactly which genes contribute to risk has been like searching for needles in a haystack.

22 Jun 2026

New drug could double survival time in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

A new medication could double survival time in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, according to Phase III clinical trial results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2026 annual meeting and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

22 Jun 2026

Plague emerged earlier than thought and hit hunter-gatherers hard

Ancient DNA from 46 Lake Baikal hunter-gatherers revealed two early plague outbreak phases about 5,500 years ago, with Yersinia pestis detected in 18 individuals. The findings suggest these basal plague strains caused lethal, child-heavy outbreaks long before dense farming societies, cities, or classical flea-borne bubonic plague emerged.

21 Jun 2026

New human protein atlas maps how cancer rewires the body’s tissues

Researchers created a DIA-MS atlas of 13,609 proteins across 2,856 samples from fetal, healthy adult, paired non-tumor, and tumor tissues. The resource maps tissue-specific protein patterns, cancer-associated changes, organ-specific drug-toxicity signals, and candidate therapeutic targets.

21 Jun 2026

New method generates renewable supply of progenitor immune cells

In a paper published in Cell, a USC Stem Cell-led team reports a new way of generating a renewable and expandable supply of the progenitor cells that give rise to macrophages.

19 Jun 2026

Psychologist warns DNA testing kits can bring unexpected risks

DNA testing kits are often gifted for Father's Day, Christmas and special occasions. The idea of learning more about yourself and unearthing some long-forgotten family history is certainly appealing for many, but a psychologist has warned that these presents can come with profound psychological implications.

19 Jun 2026

Study shows jumping genes can transfer between different species

Genes are not passed on exclusively from parents to their offspring. Some are mobile and can also jump to other species, as researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen have now shown.

19 Jun 2026

Study discovers epigenetic mechanism protecting tooth progenitor cells from stress

An epigenetic "mechanostat" has been discovered that protects tooth-forming progenitor cells from mechanical stress and supports lifelong tissue renewal.

19 Jun 2026

Gene therapy successfully treats deadly childhood liver disease in mice

A new gene therapy has been used to successfully treat a deadly childhood liver disease using mice that model this disease by researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

19 Jun 2026

Fish oil supplements show little benefit for Alzheimer's prevention

Americans spend more than $1 billion annually on fish oil supplements, in part due to purported cognitive benefits from the omega-3 fatty acids they contain, essential nutrients that help form brain cell connections needed for cognition.

18 Jun 2026

Gene deletion exposes hidden colon cancer cells to immunotherapy attack

A study from the University of Calgary shows that removing a single gene makes colon cancer cells a target for immunotherapy - a fundamental breakthrough.

18 Jun 2026

Breast milk nutrient boosts long-term immune system development

Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), the most abundant trans fatty acid found in human breast milk, helps boost immune system development and has long-lasting effects on immune system health in mice, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Chicago.

18 Jun 2026