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Obesity’s health risks shift with age and sex, new genetic study reveals

Using a new time-resolved Mendelian randomization approach in over 360,000 UK Biobank participants, Karlsson et al. revealed that the causal impact of obesity changes across life, with distinct age- and sex-specific risk patterns for diabetes, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and osteoarthritis.

27 Oct 2025

Low-calorie diets linked to higher psoriatic arthritis risk, genetic study suggests

This Mendelian randomization study found that low-calorie diets may slightly increase the risk of psoriatic arthritis, while vegetarian and gluten-free diets showed no causal links to psoriasis, acne, or atopic dermatitis. The findings challenge assumptions about universally beneficial dietary patterns and highlight the need for cautious interpretation of dietary interventions in inflammatory skin disease.

19 Oct 2025

MRI age clocks reveal how each organ ages differently and predict who develops disease or lives longer

Researchers developed seven MRI-based biological age clocks across major organs using UK Biobank imaging, linking each to proteins, metabolites, genetics, disease risks, mortality, and cognitive decline. These organ-specific age gaps reveal how uneven aging shapes vulnerability to conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and dementia, opening new paths for precision prevention and clinical trial stratification

19 Oct 2025

Microbial genetic variation shapes neurocognitive behavior in sheep

The researchers used Merino sheep as an animal model, systematically collecting samples of their hindgut and ruminal microbiota, plasma metabolites, and neurocognitive behavioral phenotype data.

10 Oct 2025

Cannabidiol shows promise for obesity and metabolic syndrome

Cannabidiol (CBD) shows promise in regulating appetite, glucose and lipid metabolism, and inflammation in preclinical models of obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, human evidence is still limited, highlighting the need for rigorous trials before clinical use.

29 Sep 2025

Super-resolution imaging unlocks the role of transporter nanoclusters in tumor metabolism

Serine serves as a metabolic nexus in tumors, coordinating one-carbon metabolism, nucleotide synthesis, and redox regulation. In recent years, targeting the serine metabolic pathway, particularly the rate-limiting enzyme PHGDH, has attracted considerable attention as a promising anticancer strategy.

29 Sep 2025

Scientists uncover 53 genetic clues that shape math ability beyond IQ

Researchers uncovered 53 genetic loci linked to quantitative ability, distinguishing it from general intelligence and non-cognitive skills. The study highlights brain pathways in axon guidance, synaptic signaling, and mRNA splicing as biological underpinnings of math-related ability.

22 Sep 2025

Genetic study shows dual GIPR/GLP1R action curbs binge alcohol use

Researchers used drug-target Mendelian randomization to test whether genetically proxied activation of GLP1R and GIPR influences alcohol-related behaviors. They found that GIPR, especially when combined with GLP1R, was linked to lower binge and heavy drinking, healthier food preferences, improved liver markers, and reduced coronary artery disease risk.

15 Sep 2025

Why Salmonella Dublin poses a food safety threat in beef and dairy

The study on Salmonella Dublin highlights its genomic similarities and resistance traits, raising concerns for food safety and antimicrobial resistance.

27 Aug 2025

Mitochondria fight infection by starving parasites of essential nutrients

You've heard that mitochondria are the "powerhouse of the cell." Now get ready for "mitochondria are the infantry of the cell!"

26 Aug 2025

How a single gene reshapes pain perception through polyamine signaling

Researchers have identified SLC45A4 as a neuronal polyamine transporter genetically linked to human chronic pain. Loss of this gene in mice disrupts polyamine balance, alters spinal GABA levels, and reduces heat and tonic pain sensitivity.

24 Aug 2025

Genetic variants influencing vitamin D synthesis, metabolism, and transport

A Canadian review synthesizes genetic factors that influence vitamin D synthesis, metabolism, and transport, highlighting how polymorphisms affect circulating levels. It also explores how gene-environment interactions shape individual responses to supplementation and sunlight.

20 Aug 2025

Study shows probiotics help preterm babies fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Researchers found that probiotics help reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the guts of very-low-birth-weight preterm infants, but cannot fully prevent resistance genes from spreading. Antibiotic use still promotes gene swapping, highlighting the limits of probiotics alone in neonatal care.

17 Aug 2025

Gene editing restores hearing and balance in adult mice with DFNA41 deafness

Zheng-Yi Chen, DPhil, associate scientist at the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, and Ines and Fredrick Yeatts Chair in Otolaryngology, at Mass Eye and Ear, is the senior and co-corresponding author of a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, "Single Dose Genome Editing Therapy Rescues Auditory and Vestibular Functions in Adult Mice with DFNA41 Deafness."

14 Aug 2025

Epigenetic breakthrough: $200 blood test spots diabetes heart risk better than standard tools

Researchers have developed a blood-based DNA methylation risk score that predicts first macrovascular events in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients more accurately than current cardiovascular risk tools. The score, when combined with clinical factors, could help target early prevention in high-risk individuals.

11 Aug 2025

Scientists map the genes behind diet and dementia risk

Researchers established a high-quality genetic dataset from the MIND diet trial, enabling new studies of gene–diet interactions in cognitive health. This resource allows deeper investigation into why individuals respond differently to dietary interventions targeting dementia risk.

6 Aug 2025

HOXB13 emerges as a context-dependent regulator in cancer biology

HOXB13, a B-class homeobox transcription factor, sits at the hub of developmental gene networks yet has emerged as a double-edged sword in human cancer.

5 Aug 2025

Characterization of antibodies targeting ASO modifications for intracellular trafficking

A new article in the peer-reviewed journal Nucleic Acid Therapeutics describes the characterization of antibodies targeting antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) phosphorothioate and 2'-methoxyehtyl modifications for intracellular trafficking and biodistribution studies.

1 Aug 2025

Researchers uncover PSAT1 gene as key to heart repair post-heart attack

Heart attacks remain a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. The permanent loss of heart muscle cells-known as cardiomyocytes-and the heart's limited regenerative capacity often led to chronic heart failure.

1 Aug 2025

AI identifies novel gene variants linked to Alzheimer’s risk

This study reveals how machine learning models uncover new genetic variants linked to Alzheimer’s, advancing predictive accuracy in genetic epidemiology.

24 Jul 2025