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Gut microbiota may shape eating behavior and guide new obesity treatments

The review shows how gut microbiota may influence appetite, food reward, inflammation, and energy balance through the gut-brain axis. Microbiota-targeted approaches could support future treatments for obesity and eating disorders, but clinical evidence remains limited.

12 Jul 2026

Gum disease bacteria linked to calcific aortic valve stenosis

Gum disease bacteria may spur calcium buildup in the heart's aortic valve, leading to a common and serious heart valve disease, according to preliminary, independent research presented at the American Heart Association's Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2026.

12 Jul 2026

Cold-exposed mothers pass metabolic protection to male rat offspring through milk

Maternal cold exposure during early pregnancy improved glucose control and reduced liver fat in male rat offspring, with benefits persisting into late adulthood. The findings implicate a breast milk LCA, gut microbiota, and Th17 immune pathway, while human cohort data showed an observational link between winter conception and lower MASLD risk.

12 Jul 2026

New bionic skin wound dressing accelerates infected tissue healing

Dressings face a critical limitation: no single product has successfully integrated protective function, wearing comfort, and efficient antibacterial activity.

11 Jul 2026

New microparticles improve biofilm removal from wounds and surgical instruments

Newly developed microparticles can infiltrate stubborn bacterial matrices and release tiny oxygen bubbles to clean surfaces and wounds more efficiently than hydrogen peroxide or other cleaning agents alone, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report.

9 Jul 2026

Scientists discover molecular mechanism behind anesthesia-induced unconsciousness

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Birkbeck, University of London, have identified a site where a commonly used anesthetic binds to sodium ion channels, revealing a molecular mechanism that may explain how these drugs dampen communication between neurons.

9 Jul 2026

Advanced synthetic grafting material fights bone cancer and prevents infection

Primary bone tumors, such as osteosarcoma, have seen stagnant survival rates over the past four decades. Surgical removal of the tumor is critical, but local recurrence may occur when tumours are close to vital structures, often resulting in amputation.

9 Jul 2026

Smoking shows no major impact on the eye microbiome in small study

A small study found no evidence that smoking causes large or consistent shifts in the ocular surface microbiome or tear proteome. The authors caution that subtle smoking-related effects cannot be ruled out, given the small cohort and the ocular surface's low-biomass, contamination-sensitive microbial niche.

8 Jul 2026

Mcmaster researchers develop targeted phage therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

A research team at McMaster University has developed a targeted approach to treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using bacteriophages, viruses that infect specific bacteria, to disarm harmful microbes without disrupting the broader gut ecosystem.

8 Jul 2026

Study links gut bacteria diversity to frailty in seniors

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have identified clear links between the composition of gut bacteria and frailty in older women.

8 Jul 2026

Microbiome science merges with oncology for better cancer treatments

Cancer remains notoriously difficult to treat, partly because tumors co‑opt their surrounding environment, including the resident microbiota, to evade immune surveillance and resist conventional therapies.

7 Jul 2026

New research reveals how dying bacteria force cell ejection

Popular science fiction is no stranger to escape pod scenarios, typically featuring characters who narrowly avoid their demise by jettisoning from a spaceship - think R2-D2 and C-3PO shooting away from a rebel spaceship in the opening of Star Wars: A New Hope. Biologists at the University of California San Diego have found that communities of bacteria feature a similar ejection capability.

7 Jul 2026

Researchers uncover unexpected bacterial strategy for surviving antibiotic stress

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are mostly harmless bacteria that live in the intestines of animals and humans. They are the most well-studied bacteria and, often, when scientists discover something about E. coli, they extrapolate that discovery across all bacteria.

3 Jul 2026

New synthetic grafting material kills bone cancer and regenerates bone

3 Jul 2026

Can ibuprofen improve drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment?

While ibuprofen reduced inflammatory markers in drug-resistant TB patients, it did not enhance treatment outcomes, indicating the need for further research.

3 Jul 2026

Cat fleas may contribute to murine typhus transmission in Texas

As human cases of flea-borne murine typhus continue to occur in South Texas, researchers are working to better understand the role cats and their fleas may play in the disease's transmission cycle.

2 Jul 2026

New framework redefines phage therapy for combating antimicrobial resistance

A new perspective article in Biocontaminant proposes a three-part evolutionary framework for using bacteriophages to better control antimicrobial resistance.

2 Jul 2026

AI speeds development of therapeutic hydrogels for gum disease

Periodontitis is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases worldwide and a leading cause of tooth loss in adults.

1 Jul 2026

New bacterial enzyme blueprint could accelerate cancer treatment development

A team of researchers at the University of Warwick and Monash University has solved a puzzle that's stumped drug developers for decades: how bacteria naturally create multiple versions of powerful cancer therapies.

1 Jul 2026

Botanical prebiotics may steer skin microbes toward healthier balance

Researchers tested plant-derived prebiotic candidates against selected skin-associated bacteria and found that garlic, flaxseed, and mango ginger extracts inhibited S. aureus or acne-associated C. acnes in vitro. Onion and guduchi extracts modestly promoted S. epidermidis, suggesting a microbiome-targeted skincare route that now needs validation in skin models and human studies.

30 Jun 2026