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Versatile receptor protein plays critical role in regulating tissue repair

A comprehensive new review highlights the expanding importance of Lgr6, a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family, as a critical regulator of tissue homeostasis, injury repair, and disease development across multiple organ systems.

5 Aug 2026

Study maps how birth order tracks disease risk across 10 million siblings

Researchers analyzing claims from more than 10 million siblings linked first-born status to higher odds of several neurodevelopmental and allergic diagnoses, while second-born status tracked with substance abuse and gastrointestinal conditions. The observational study identified 150 significant birth-order associations across the phenome, but claims data and residual confounding prevent causal conclusions.

4 Aug 2026

Korean study finds no overall childhood cancer link with maternal diabetes

Researchers followed 549,851 Korean children and found no statistically significant association between maternal diabetes and overall childhood cancer. The analysis linked maternal diabetes to an 81% higher relative risk of urinary tract cancer, but the absolute difference was only 37 additional cases per 100,000 offspring.

4 Aug 2026

Airplane wastewater pilot shows how airports could track pathogens across borders

Researchers showed that airplane wastewater from a shared US-UK transatlantic route could be collected and analyzed to detect respiratory and enteric pathogen genetic material. The pilot also captured SARS-CoV-2 lineage patterns, including earlier detection of XEC on UK-origin flights, while showing the need for harmonized assays and broader sampling.

4 Aug 2026

Child-friendly lung test identifies subtle abnormalities before stem cell transplant

As spirometry requires coordinated deep breathing and can be challenging for children to perform, researchers from the USA, as part of the TRANSPIRE study investigating lung complications in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), explored the potential of oscillometry, a simple and child-friendly lung function test.

3 Aug 2026

Study reveals steep financial burden of New Mexico measles outbreak

A cost analysis of the 2025 measles outbreak in New Mexico found that the outbreak carried an estimated societal cost of $5.4 million, or more than $53,000 per case.

3 Aug 2026

Study links ancient evolutionary pressures to severe COVID-19 risk

Every time a virus invades a person, it collides with thousands of years of human history. A study led by researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Howard University suggests that some of the genes involved in the body's immune response today bear the marks of ancient battles with infectious diseases.

3 Aug 2026

Study of lung immune cells uncovers roots of autoimmune disease

A massive analysis of immune cells in human tissue is yielding clues to the root cause of lung and autoimmune diseases.

3 Aug 2026

Automated oxygen delivery system improves precision for hospitalized patients

A University of Colorado Anschutz-led clinical trial has found an automated oxygen delivery system helped hospitalized patients spend significantly more time in their target oxygen range compared with standard care, while also reducing exposure to both low and high oxygen levels.

3 Aug 2026

Using DNA sequencing for accurate identification of microbial infections in cystic fibrosis patients

Lung infections are a constant risk for people living with cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-threatening genetic disorder which impairs lung function, predisposes people to persistent airway infections and exposes them to acquiring multidrug resistant infections.

3 Aug 2026

Children remain more vulnerable to influenza despite protective antibody levels

Researchers analyzing 1,518 South African household participants found that higher pre-season antibody titers were associated with lower infection risk for three of four influenza viruses studied. Children remained more susceptible after accounting for measured exposure and antibody titers, while younger children shed viral RNA longer than older adults.

3 Aug 2026

Secondhand smoke alters tooth enamel development in early life

Exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke during the first days of life can cause changes in tooth enamel mineralization without causing visible changes to the teeth.

31 Jul 2026

Arginine boosts immune defenses against cancer and viral infections

The amino acid arginine helps to keep the human body humming, most notably by synthesizing proteins that carry out a range of cellular processes.

31 Jul 2026

Engineered extracellular vesicles counter deadly cytokine storms in mice

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted some severe consequences of unchecked respiratory disease, including cytokine storm.

31 Jul 2026

Ten-million-person study links semaglutide to lower COVID-19 mortality

Researchers analyzing claims from more than 10.1 million commercial insurance and Medicare Advantage enrollees found that semaglutide use was associated with a 49% lower adjusted hazard of COVID-19-related death. The observational findings corroborate earlier SELECT trial results but do not establish causation, making further prospective research essential.

30 Jul 2026

Cigarette smoke extract primes airway cells for greater nanoplastic damage

Researchers found that cigarette smoke extract weakened epithelial barriers and increased the proportion of human airway cells that were polystyrene nanoparticle-positive. Sequential treatment caused greater metabolic disruption and increased mucus-producing cells, suggesting heightened epithelial vulnerability, although the findings are limited to in vitro models.

30 Jul 2026

How real-time off-gas analysis improves fermentation process control

Real-time off-gas analysis helps optimize fermentation by improving process control, reducing failed batches and supporting faster development.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific – Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Solutions 29 Jul 2026

Research reveals how a hidden immune cell army defends human lung tissue

New research led by scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) and University of Liverpool (UOL) provides the first comprehensive look at how a hidden immune cell army defends the vast, vulnerable tissue of the human lungs.

28 Jul 2026

Heatwave exposure associated with accelerated biological aging in middle-aged and older adults

As global climate change intensifies, heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer, and more severe, emerging as an important environmental stressor for human health.

28 Jul 2026

Higher neuroticism may curb strenuous exercise, genetic analysis suggests

Researchers used a UK survey and genetic data to examine whether higher neuroticism is associated with lower exercise engagement. Under the study’s Mendelian randomization assumptions, higher neuroticism was estimated to reduce participation in moderate and vigorous physical activity, while conscientiousness may lessen this effect.

23 Jul 2026