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Higher ultra-processed food intake aligns with greater binge eating risk in obesity study

Higher intake of ultra-processed foods in adults with obesity was associated with disordered eating symptoms, poorer diet quality, and lower protein intake. The cross-sectional findings suggest dietary processing level may influence eating behaviour patterns relevant to obesity management, though causality cannot be inferred.

23 Feb 2026

Engineers develop highly precise gene editor for safer cystic fibrosis treatments

Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania and Rice University have refined a technology for editing individual genetic "base pairs" to a new level of precision, opening the door to safer, more reliable therapies for a wide range of genetic diseases, and to potential treatments for some cystic fibrosis patients that may yield better outcomes than existing therapies.

23 Feb 2026

Combining gene and biomarker screening for newborn health

For more than six decades, biomarker-based newborn screening has played a pivotal role in reducing infant mortality and long-term disability by enabling early detection of metabolic and endocrine disorders.

23 Feb 2026

Syndex Bio unveils mcPCR technology at AGBT 2026 following $15.5 M seed financing

Syndex Bio, a biotechnology company advancing next‑generation molecular diagnostics, today announced the introduction of its proprietary mcPCR™ (methyl‑copying PCR) platform at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) conference in Orlando, Florida.

23 Feb 2026

Ion channel TRPV4 found to regulate relief after scratching an itch

When you scratch an itch, something tells your brain when to stop. That moment of relief, when scratching feels "enough," is not accidental.

22 Feb 2026

Disordered lipid nanoparticles enhance RNA delivery efficiency

The tiny fatty capsules that delivered COVID-19 mRNA vaccines into billions of arms may work better when they're a little disorganized.

22 Feb 2026

Study reveals unexpected role of TMC proteins in deafness

Proteins long known to be essential for hearing have been hiding a talent: they also act as gatekeepers that shuffle fatty molecules across cell membranes.

22 Feb 2026

Neutral polymer enables safer DNA delivery into cells

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new molecule which carries DNA into biological cells, to treat or vaccinate against illnesses.

22 Feb 2026

Genetic differences may shape emotional reactions to art

Why do some people feel chills when listening to music, reading poetry, or viewing a powerful work of art, while others do not? New research by Giacomo Bignardi and his colleagues from Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) published in PLOS Genetics reveals that part of the answer lies in our genes.

22 Feb 2026

Single prenatal exposure to fungicide linked to disease across 20 generations

A single exposure to a toxic fungicide during pregnancy can increase the risk of disease for 20 subsequent generations - with inherited health problems worsening many generations after exposure.

20 Feb 2026

Grant supports research into how microglia may spread toxic tau in Alzheimer’s

A researcher with the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio has received a two-year, $402,500 grant award from the Cure Alzheimer's Fund to study how microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, paradoxically might contribute to the spread of toxic forms of tau protein in the disease.

20 Feb 2026

Researchers uncover genetic pathways behind rising cefiderocol resistance

Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacteria which can become a virulent killer in health-care settings among severely ill patients. The germ has rapidly developed drug resistance to even last-line carbapenem drugs.

20 Feb 2026

Genetic mismatch identified as major risk factor in cord blood transplantation

A Japanese study of more than 7,400 patients has identified a genetic mismatch that sharply increases the risk of severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following umbilical cord blood transplantation.

20 Feb 2026

Embryonic reproductive cells reveal striking genomic architecture before development

Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) and Imperial College London have shown for the first time that, before they can start developing into egg and sperm cells, the embryonic precursors of these cells uniquely reshape the 3D organization of their genetic material.

20 Feb 2026

New AI-based analysis method can accurately classify and monitor brain tumors

An international research team, with significant involvement from the Medical University of Vienna, has developed a new AI-based analysis method that can accurately classify brain tumors using genetic material from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and monitor the progression of the disease.

20 Feb 2026

Italian registry sheds light on acute coronary syndromes in women

Preliminary results from an Italian registry describe the risk profile of women experiencing acute coronary syndromes and provide insights to improve management.

19 Feb 2026

$8.7 million award supports faster genetic diagnosis of lymphatic diseases

A team of researchers led by Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has been awarded an up to two-year $8.7 million contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to create genetic tests to speed the diagnosis of patients born with defects in the lymphatic system.

19 Feb 2026

Genome sequencing data reveals new insights into Epstein-Barr virus immunity

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can cause certain types of cancer or autoimmune diseases, but how the body controls this common viral infection is largely unknown.

19 Feb 2026

Blood test shows promise in forecasting outcomes for germ cell tumors

Can fragments of tumor DNA in the blood predict whether chemotherapy will be effective? Researchers at the Princess Máxima Center investigated this question together with experts from Italy and Slovakia.

19 Feb 2026

DeepRare AI helps shorten the rare disease diagnostic journey with evidence-linked predictions

Researchers developed DeepRare, an LLM-driven multi-agent diagnostic system that integrates clinical descriptions, phenotype data, and genomic information to improve rare disease identification. Across thousands of cases, the system showed higher diagnostic recall than existing AI tools and clinicians in benchmark testing, while providing traceable reasoning linked to medical evidence.

19 Feb 2026