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Study uncovers a neural brake that limits motivation during unpleasant situations

Most of us know the feeling: maybe it is making a difficult phone call, starting a report you fear will be criticized, or preparing a presentation that's stressful just to think about.

9 Jan 2026

Study reveals how tuberculosis exploits immune defenses to promote infection

Scientists have made a discovery that helps explain why humans and animals are so susceptible to contracting tuberculosis(TB) – and it involves the bacteria harnessing part of the immune system meant to protect against infection.

9 Jan 2026

Weight loss drugs and surgery improve body composition in patients with obesity

Both the new weight loss drugs and bariatric (weight loss) surgery improve body composition in patients with obesity by inducing a moderate loss of fat-free mass (including lean muscle) along with a substantial reduction in fat, researchers at Vanderbilt Health have found.

9 Jan 2026

Global analysis shows widespread eligibility for GLP-1 weight management drugs

The worldwide prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in the last three decades, bringing with it an increase in weight-related diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers.

8 Jan 2026

$Neural pain pathways found to play crucial role in bone fracture healing$

Neural pain pathways found to play crucial role in bone fracture healing

When a house catches on fire, we assume that a smoke alarm inside will serve one purpose and one purpose only: warn the occupants of danger.

8 Jan 2026

Recent advances in CAR-NK cell therapy could revolutionze cancer treatment

Cell-based immunotherapies have transformed cancer treatment, yet their widespread use remains constrained by safety risks, manufacturing complexity, and limited effectiveness against solid tumors.

8 Jan 2026

Researchers develop enhanced antibodies to unleash the immune system against cancer

Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed a promising new way to bolster the body's immune system response to cancer.

8 Jan 2026

UC Davis team creates new class of serotonin-effecting drugs

UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the brain.

8 Jan 2026

Study highlights prevalence of GLP-1/GIP medication use for weight loss in UK

In early 2025, around 4.9 million British adults - almost one in ten - are estimated to have recently used, or expressed interest in using, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) or dual GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonist medications to support weight loss. The findings, which are based on a nationally representative household survey of 5,260 British adults, are published in BMC Medicine.

8 Jan 2026

Stimulating immune cells could offer new treatment for nerve injury pain

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that targeting a specific immune process could help improve recovery after nerve injury and reduce chronic pain.

7 Jan 2026

Weight loss drugs may cause nutritional deficiencies without proper guidance

People prescribed the new generation of weight loss drugs may not receive sufficient nutritional guidance to support safe and sustainable weight loss, leaving them vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss, say experts at UCL and the University of Cambridge.

7 Jan 2026

Reprogramming immunity to protect beta cells in type 1 diabetes

In the battle against type 1 diabetes (T1D), one researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is leading a bold new front. With $1 million in funding from Breakthrough T1D, the leading global T1D research and advocacy organization, Leonardo Ferreira, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pharmacology and Immunology, and his collaborators at partnering institutions will explore a new approach to treating – and potentially curing – the disease.

7 Jan 2026

New antibody mechanisms disrupt bacterial adhesion in urinary tract infections

Pathogens can create sticky situations. When microbes invade the body to cause an infection, often one of their first lines of attack is to cling tenaciously to the surfaces of targeted human cells.

7 Jan 2026

Stopping weight loss drugs leads to rapid weight regain and health reversal

Stopping weight loss drugs is followed by weight regain and reversal of beneficial effects on heart and metabolic health markers such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

7 Jan 2026

Low-dose megestrol strengthens hormone therapy in ER-positive breast cancer

Low-dose megestrol enhances hormone therapy for ER-positive breast cancer, reducing tumor proliferation and improving treatment adherence in the PIONEER trial.

7 Jan 2026

Parkinson’s disease may stem from iron starvation rather than iron overload

This perspective argues that Parkinson’s disease may involve functional iron deficiency, where bioavailable iron is limited despite normal or elevated total iron in the brain. The authors propose that iron sequestration, not iron toxicity alone, may impair dopamine synthesis and neuronal survival.

6 Jan 2026

The gut is not just digestive and new evidence shows it actively controls brain function

This comprehensive review synthesizes a decade of human and animal research to explain how the gut and brain communicate through hormonal, neural, immune, and microbial pathways. It highlights how disruptions in these pathways contribute to gastrointestinal, metabolic, and neurological disorders, and how modern therapies are beginning to exploit gut–brain signaling for clinical benefit.

6 Jan 2026

A single immune protein may help explain why kidney and heart disease often develop together

This review synthesizes clinical, genetic, and mechanistic evidence showing that suPAR and related uPAR fragments are strongly associated with kidney, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease risk. It highlights suPAR as a stable biomarker of innate immune activation with potential pathogenic roles, while underscoring major gaps in assay standardization and therapeutic validation.

6 Jan 2026

Simple drug treatments could help older brains cope with memory decline and postoperative recovery

Simple pharmaceutical interventions could help older brains cope with memory impairment and recovery after surgery, new studies in mice suggest.

6 Jan 2026

TAAR1 mutation impairs brain signaling in schizophrenia

A genetic mutation passed from mother to children in families affected by schizophrenia has now been shown to completely silence a brain receptor that pharmaceutical companies are racing to target with new drugs.

6 Jan 2026