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New discovery overturns a prevailing model of brain development

For centuries, scientists have thought of the brain as a single, unified organ. But new research led by Stanford Medicine reveals that what we call the brain is two distinct organs that evolved independently over hundreds of millions of years.

18 Sep 2026

Study identifies two opposing molecular patterns in autism models

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with more than 1,200 risk genes, raising a fundamental question: Do these diverse genetic changes affect the brain in entirely different ways, or do they converge on shared biological mechanisms?

17 Sep 2026

Scalable machine learning model maps complex genomic enhancers across tissues

Understanding gene regulation may be the key to interpreting human disease genetics. Genes are regulated in part by stretches of DNA called enhancers, which define when, where, and how strongly each gene is turned on.

17 Sep 2026

Study identifies DNA loops as essential for tissue regeneration

After an injury, DNA not only alters its activity but also the way it is organized spatially within the cell nucleus.

15 Sep 2026

Study uncovers mechanism for reading extra-long neuronal genes

Neurons in humans and other mammals express many exceptionally long genes, ranging from more than 100 kb to over 2 Mb, that are important for forming synapses and neural circuits.

15 Sep 2026

New study reveals euchromatin forms dynamic condensed domains in cells

The human genome is about two meters long, yet it is folded inside a cell nucleus only about 10 micrometers in diameter.

8 Sep 2026

Paternal sperm epigenetics may help explain early pregnancy loss

When a pregnancy ends early and unexplained, the search for answers usually begins with the mother. Lacey Luense, Ph.D., wants to know what the father's sperm might have to do with it.

28 Aug 2026

New review highlights spatial technologies in advanced brain mapping

Understanding how molecular changes shape brain function and disease requires more than measuring genes in bulk tissue.

21 Aug 2026

Bonsai software visualizes complex biological data as branching trees

Modern biology research can now generate valuable data on an unprecedented scale. But there is one major obstacle: making sense of these complex high-dimensional datasets.

21 Aug 2026

Scientists uncover safer way to tame cancer cell senescence

Stopping tumor growth is only half the battle. Rather than kill tumor cells, many cancer therapies can only push them into cellular senescence, a state in which cells stop dividing but do not die. These "undead" cells will continue to release signals that reshape the tumor environment.

20 Aug 2026

Study provides new insights into how IL-26 reshapes the tumor immune landscape

While cancer cells acquire malignant traits through epigenetic remodeling, it remains unclear how immune-derived inflammatory factors regulate the epigenetics of colorectal cancer cells.

18 Aug 2026

Early-life stress rewires brain epigenetics to heighten sensitivity to future stress

. Early-life stress increased SETD7 and H3K4me1 in the ventral tegmental area of mice, creating an epigenetically primed state that heightened later transcriptional, neuronal, and behavioral responses to stress. Reducing Setd7 during development lowered H3K4me1 and weakened these stress-sensitizing effects, identifying a mechanism that may help explain how early adversity leaves lasting biological effects.

11 Aug 2026

Circular eccDNA shows potential to predict early-stage LUAD recurrence

LUAD is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer. Although surgery can be curative for patients diagnosed at an early stage, approximately 30%-50% develop recurrence or aggressive metastasis within five years.

10 Aug 2026

New human genome benchmark captures both parental copies with near-perfect accuracy

Researchers created T2T-HG002, a near-perfect diploid human genome benchmark that is free of detectable errors across 99.4% of the genome and captures both maternal and paternal haplotypes. The benchmark expands coverage into previously excluded genomic regions and provides a new framework for evaluating sequencing reads, assemblies, phased variants, and personalized genome inference.

10 Aug 2026

Exhausted T cells balance graft tolerance and infection risk

A comprehensive new review examines the complex role of T cell exhaustion in organ transplantation, highlighting how this dysfunctional immune state can both promote graft tolerance and create vulnerabilities to infection and malignancy.

7 Aug 2026

PIWI proteins and piRNAs may unlock more effective stem cell therapies

Scientists are shedding new light on a little-known biological system that could help unlock the full potential of stem cell therapy, one of the most promising areas of modern medicine.

6 Aug 2026

LMU researchers reveal how different organs customize their internal clocks

LMU researchers have elucidated how different organs adapt the same clock machinery to regulate their individual needs over the course of a day.

6 Aug 2026

Obscure X chromosome protein emerges as key driver in several cancers

A little-known protein encoded on the X chromosome is attracting growing attention for its potential role in cancer development and treatment.

5 Aug 2026

Blood filtration method helps clear circulating lipids and toxic microplastics

The machine is not new. Some version of it has run in hospital treatment rooms for about four decades, drawing blood from one arm, separating out the plasma, passing it across a filter or an adsorber, and returning it to the other arm.

4 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