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Patient-derived tumor models strengthen precision oncology research

A research project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with collaborators around the country and the world, has generated one of the most extensive and diverse collections of patient-derived tumor models.

5 Aug 2026

Mouse study shows how liraglutide briefly rewires gut bacterial communities

Researchers treated male high-fat-fed mice with liraglutide for 14 days, then tracked fecal bacterial communities after a 7-day washout using 16S rRNA sequencing. Liraglutide shifted the microbiome toward Lactobacillus- and Leptogranulimonas-related taxa while reducing several fermentative taxa, but most changes moved back toward baseline after treatment stopped.

4 Aug 2026

Researchers call for stronger safety testing of lip cosmetics

New peer-reviewed publications find significant gaps in lip product regulation and safety testing, including reliance on inappropriate skin models and significant underestimation of usage and ingestion rates, leaving consumers exposed to potential risks.

4 Aug 2026

NIH funds research to explore the role of thymulin in inflammaging and cancer

As we age, chronic inflammation-or "inflammaging"-increases throughout the body and weakens our ability to fight cancer.

4 Aug 2026

Food may taste different on GLP-1 drugs, but taste may not be the reason

The review suggests that patient-reported “taste changes” during GLP-1RA treatment may reflect reduced food enjoyment and motivation rather than consistent impairment of basic taste. The authors propose a sensory-liking-wanting framework while emphasizing that current human evidence remains heterogeneous and largely indirect.

4 Aug 2026

Restricting select amino acids may mimic protein restriction’s healthy aging benefits

A review finds that restricting protein, particularly methionine, isoleucine, and valine, may improve metabolism and influence key aging pathways, largely in experimental models. Short human studies suggest metabolic benefits, but effects on lifespan remain unknown and restriction may harm people with unmet or increased protein needs.

3 Aug 2026

Advances in X chromosome inactivation open therapeutic opportunities for X-linked genetic disorders

A new review explores how advances in understanding X chromosome inactivation (XCI) are creating potential therapeutic opportunities for a range of X-linked genetic disorders, including Rett syndrome, Fabry disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and others.

3 Aug 2026

Newly-discovered protein acts as off switch for human immune cells

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a protein that cancer cells use to shut down the body's immune response, a discovery that could help scientists develop new treatments that make cancer immunotherapies more effective.

3 Aug 2026

Gut microbiome shifts may begin before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear

A narrative review links reduced SCFA-producing gut bacteria and altered microbial metabolism with Alzheimer’s disease, while early evidence suggests similar changes may appear before cognitive symptoms. Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, and prudent diets are associated with beneficial microbial profiles, but direct evidence connecting diet, the microbiome, and amyloid pathology remains limited.

3 Aug 2026

RNA-based therapeutic strategy targets brain pathway behind cancer-associated cachexia

A new path has opened toward stopping cancer-associated cachexia, a devastating complication that gradually wastes patients away.

2 Aug 2026

Traditional Japanese medicine for obesity may help reduce age-related tissue fibrosis

A traditional Japanese medicine used for obesity may do more than support weight loss. Researchers at the University of Osaka, working with Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. investigated whether Bofutsushosan could protect aging tissues from fibrosis - the excessive buildup of scar-like tissue that can make organs stiff and less functional.

2 Aug 2026

Daytime cortisol patterns track cognitive decline but not Alzheimer’s disease risk

In 3,895 older adults, moderate daytime cortisol variability was associated with better cognition and slower decline, while the highest daily cortisol exposure was linked to poorer cognition and faster decline. Cortisol patterns differed between Black and White participants, but their relationships with cognition were similar, and none predicted incident Alzheimer’s disease.

2 Aug 2026

Study offers a potential strategy to make nanoparticle-based cancer drugs more effective

A new study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has identified a way to reshape the gut microbiome that can enhance the delivery of certain chemotherapies to tumors, offering a potential strategy to make nanoparticle-based cancer drugs more effective.

31 Jul 2026

Natural compounds could combat drug-resistant malaria and babesiosis

As parasites become increasingly resistant to existing drugs, researchers at the University of California, Riverside are working to develop a new generation of treatments for two serious infectious diseases: malaria and babesiosis.

31 Jul 2026

New mechanism linked to septic heart injury protection uncovered

Sepsis triggers widespread inflammation, circulatory failure and metabolic stress, and cardiac dysfunction is a common complication associated with sharply poorer outcomes.

31 Jul 2026

Researchers propose new framework to define clinical obesity

A new approach to defining obesity could help physicians better determine which patients need more intensive treatment by focusing on the effects of excess adiposity on organs and tissues rather than relying primarily on whether a person meets a set of metabolic risk thresholds.

31 Jul 2026

New stem cell vesicles accelerate diabetic wound healing

Diabetic foot ulcers are among the most serious complications of diabetes because prolonged inflammation, poor circulation, and defective angiogenesis can leave wounds open for months and increase the risk of infection and amputation.

31 Jul 2026

Insilico unveils standardized evaluation framework to validate AI-driven drug discovery models

As general-purpose and domain-specific AI models rapidly infiltrate drug discovery, one critical question looms over the pharmaceutical sector: Can these models actually discover drugs, or are they just good at taking tests?

30 Jul 2026

Biotherapeutic metabolite repairs gut damage caused by HIV infection

Researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine have identified a naturally occurring metabolite that repairs gut damage caused by HIV infection and significantly improves the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the nonhuman primate model of HIV/AIDS.

30 Jul 2026