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How a common gut bacterium may protect health

Akkermansia muciniphila's impact on immunity and pregnancy outcomes underscores its promise as a probiotic, with implications for infectious disease treatment.

4 May 2026

Five-target drug beats GLP-1/GIP therapy in obese diabetic mice

A Nature study reports a single-molecule GLP-1–GIP–lanifibranor quintuple agonist that targets incretin receptor-expressing cells while activating PPARα/γ/δ pathways. In obese and insulin-resistant mice, the compound reduced body weight, food intake, and hyperglycaemia more effectively than semaglutide or GLP-1R–GIPR co-agonism, while remaining a preclinical finding.

30 Apr 2026

Glucose acts as a metabolic signal for myelin development

Researchers at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have uncovered a surprising link between low brain sugar levels and the development of myelin - the protective coating that allows nerve cells to communicate rapidly and efficiently.

30 Apr 2026

Metabolic rewiring could help CAR-T cells fight solid tumors

This review explains how glucose scarcity, lipid disruption, amino acid deprivation, and toxic metabolites weaken CAR-T cells inside solid tumors. It highlights metabolic reprogramming as a promising strategy to improve CAR-T cell persistence, adaptability, and anti-tumor function.

29 Apr 2026

Lifestyle and non-lifestyle factors converge to influence gut microbiome in cancer patients

A new review was published in Volume 13 of Oncoscience on March 11, 2026, titled "Associations among physical activity, diet, non-lifestyle characteristics and the gut microbiome of cancer patients: A scoping review and network analysis."

28 Apr 2026

Hepatitis C infection associated with reduced portal insulin levels

Insulin resistance is a common extrahepatic manifestation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (HCVi), but its mechanism is poorly understood.

28 Apr 2026

Lipid pathways driving diabetes and heart disease risk in South Asians

Identifying lipid-linked genetic pathways in Asian Indians offers insights into diabetes and heart disease, crucial for developing ancestry-specific therapies.

28 Apr 2026

Natural compound obakulactone shows therapeutic potential for rheumatoid arthritis

A new study published in Engineering reveals that obakulactone (OL), a natural tetracyclic triterpenoid isolated from Phellodendri cortex, exerts a therapeutic effect on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by promoting the degradation of acyl coenzyme A thioesterase 1 (ACOT1) via the ubiquitin‒proteasome pathway and restoring the homeostasis of unsaturated fatty acids.

25 Apr 2026

Bacterial vesicles emerge as powerful tools against antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is making bacterial infections harder to treat, demanding new therapeutic strategies. A new review highlights bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) as promising nanoscale tools that can kill pathogens, block infection, enhance vaccines, and deliver drugs.

25 Apr 2026

Drinking coffee alters your microbiome, mood, and memory

Coffee consumption influences the microbiota-gut-brain axis, affecting cognitive performance and emotional regulation through complex biological pathways.

24 Apr 2026

Study identifies new genetic pathways driving cardiometabolic disease risk

A study published today in PLOS Medicine has identified two new genetic pathways that contribute to cardiometabolic disease, which includes heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

23 Apr 2026

Low-plastic diets cut plastic-linked chemicals in urine within 7 days, study finds

A Nature Medicine study found that healthy Australian adults were widely exposed to plastic-associated chemicals, with processed, packaged, and canned foods emerging as important modifiable contributors to urinary phthalate and bisphenol levels. In a 7-day pilot randomized trial, low-plastic food interventions reduced several urinary plastic-associated chemicals without lowering daily energy intake.

22 Apr 2026

Coffee impacts the gut-brain axis to improve mood and stress

New research from APC Microbiome Ireland, a world leading research centre at University College Cork, has comprehensively explored the mechanisms behind coffee's positive effects on the gut-brain axis for the first time.

21 Apr 2026

Microbial "signatures" within the oral cavity and gut may aid in gastric cancer detection

A recent study published in Cell Reports Medicine has identified distinct microbial "signatures" within the oral cavity and gut that serve as robust biomarkers for the early detection of gastric cancer (GC).

20 Apr 2026

Study explains the link between NDMA-contaminated water and childhood cancer

A new study from MIT suggests that a carcinogen that has been found in medications and in drinking water contaminated by chemical plants may have a much more severe impact on children than adults.

17 Apr 2026

Higher stress and BMI tied to earlier puberty in girls

New research links stress, BMI, and hormone patterns to pubertal timing, revealing implications for long-term health and early intervention strategies.

16 Apr 2026

SARS-CoV-2 rarely reaches first-trimester placentas but still disrupts early pregnancy immunity

Researchers analyzing 761 first-trimester pregnancies found that SARS-CoV-2 was rarely detected in placental tissues, suggesting in utero transmission early in pregnancy is uncommon. However, maternal infection was linked to immune dysregulation at the maternal-fetal interface, altered trophoblast signaling, and inflammatory changes that could affect placental development.

14 Apr 2026

Beetroot supplement raises nitric oxide markers in triathletes after one week

A randomized cross-over pilot study in 10 amateur male triathletes found that a beetroot-based multi-ingredient nitrate supplement increased nitric oxide-related and redox biomarkers over 7 days without evidence of lipid oxidative damage. The supplement was generally well tolerated, but the study did not measure whether these biochemical changes improved performance or recovery.

13 Apr 2026

Parents’ intake of sugar substitutes may influence offspring gut biology, study finds

A mouse study in Frontiers in Nutrition found that parental sucralose and stevia intake altered gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, and gene expression across generations, with sucralose showing the stronger and more persistent effects. The changes were transmitted to offspring not directly exposed to the sweeteners, although several effects were attenuated by the F2 generation.

13 Apr 2026

Steroid hormones, BMI and stress influence puberty timing in girls

Higher levels of key steroid hormones-combined with elevated stress and body mass index (BMI)-are associated with earlier onset of puberty in girls, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

13 Apr 2026