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New technology reveals how RNA shapes influence protein production and stability

Researchers from A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore (A*STAR GIS) have developed a new method, called 'sm-PORE-cupine', to study individual RNA molecules and reveal how their structures influence gene regulation, a fundamental process that affects how cells function in health and disease.

15 May 2026

The Goldilocks sleep zone: study links too little and too much sleep to biological aging

The Nature study introduces “Sleep Chart,” a framework linking self-reported sleep duration with 23 biological aging clocks derived from MRI, plasma proteomics, and metabolomics. Across UK Biobank participants, the lowest biological age gaps generally appeared between 6.4 and 7.8 hours of sleep, while shorter and longer sleep were associated with higher disease and mortality risk.

14 May 2026

How Andes virus super-spreaders reveal the risk behind the MV Hondius hantavirus cluster

A 2020 NEJM study of the 2018 to 2019 Epuyén outbreak showed that Andes virus spread from one zoonotic introduction into four generations of human infection, causing 34 cases and 11 deaths. The findings are newly relevant after WHO reported an ANDV cluster linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, where close indoor exposure may have enabled onboard human-to-human transmission.

14 May 2026

Brain immune cells found to regulate anxiety and grooming behaviors

A study led by a University of Louisville School of Medicine pediatrics and child neurology researcher reveals how a specific signaling mechanism in microglia, the brain's immune cell, can regulate anxiety and grooming behaviors. These behaviors are core symptoms of autism and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

14 May 2026

Clinical trial challenges long held beliefs about treating brittle bone disease

Increasing bone density in patients with a rare genetic condition that causes bones to break easily does not prevent fractures, a large clinical trial has found.

14 May 2026

Stanford scientists map the molecular diversity of different global populations

Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine have found that ethnicity and geography may influence human molecular makeup - from metabolism and immunity to gut microbiota and biological aging.

14 May 2026

Study reveals how brain cells process vision amidst thousands of synaptic inputs

Even in the primary visual cortex, a brain region named for its specialized role in processing basic features of what the eyes see, not every neuron ends up answering the call to process properties of visual input. Maybe that's because each neuron receives a wide variety of inputs via thousands of circuit connections, or "synapses," and has to opt to respond to the visual information vs. something else.

14 May 2026

Scientists develop a dual action strategy to destabilize the COVID virus

An unprecedented study led by researchers at the University of Malaga proposes a new antiviral strategy against SARS-CoV-2 -the virus responsible for causing COVID-19 disease- based on a treatment that combines two complementary approaches, capable of attacking the virus simultaneously, forcing its instability and hindering its ability to adapt.

14 May 2026

Solving the mystery of ALS survival differences with new biological insights

Patients with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, live an average of only three years after symptoms begin, though some can survive closer to 10 years. What drives these differences in survival has remained a mystery.

14 May 2026

Turning the flu virus into a powerful tool to fight cancer

A recent Views & Comments article published in Engineering highlights advances in repurposing influenza viruses as flexible therapeutic platforms for infectious diseases and cancer, driven by progress in reverse genetics and viral vector engineering.

14 May 2026

The complex peptide mixture that makes ant venom a powerful shield

In addition to serving as biochemical weapons for offense and defense, the venoms produced by ants in the subfamily Formicinae also fulfill additional roles. For example, the ants use it to protect their nests from pathogens. It has long been assumed that the primary constituent of these venoms, formic acid, was responsible for these functions.

14 May 2026

Four OICR-funded studies explore transformative approaches in cancer care

Four new research studies funded by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) will deliver cutting-edge innovations by maximizing the impact of existing research and making the most out of patient contributions.

13 May 2026

Base editing approach repairs deadly Dravet syndrome mutation in mice

Gene editing can repair a DNA error in mice that causes Dravet syndrome, a rare, incurable, and potentially deadly form of childhood epilepsy. After the edit, the mice have far fewer seizures and live much longer.

13 May 2026

Gene panel predicts chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have characterized cancer cell-specific features in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues, identifying specific macrophage subtypes associated with chemotherapy response.

13 May 2026