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Gut bacterial molecule discovered to drive serious bile duct disease

Researchers at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital have, together with international collaborators, discovered that a small molecule made exclusively by gut bacteria can actively drive disease in the bile ducts and worsen primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a serious liver and bile duct disease.

4 Sep 2026

Lab-grown micro bladder helps explain why urinary tract infections return

A lab-grown micro bladder may explain why urinary tract infections (UTIs) return so frequently, according to a study led by researchers at UCL, the University of Oxford and the University of Leicester.

4 Sep 2026

Tumor environments sculpt diverse natural killer cells for cancer therapies

For decades, natural killer (NK) cells have been classified into two main groups based on surface markers: one specialized for cytokine production and the other for direct killing.

4 Sep 2026

Childhood obesity prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs surge in the U.S.

Although the number of US children under age 12 with obesity being prescribed the weight loss drugs Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound remains low, the number is 310 times higher in June 2026 than it was in 2019, when the drugs were initially prescribed, a new study shows.

4 Sep 2026

Community brain health programs successfully improve attention in older adults

As aging populations drive rising global healthcare demands, finding scalable ways to prevent cognitive decline has become a vital public health priority.

4 Sep 2026

Crucial brain stem cells rely on metabolic pathways to make decisions

As the human brain takes shape before birth, a remarkable type of stem cell helps give it many of the features that make it distinctly human.

4 Sep 2026

Ancient parchment reveals historical evolution of destructive sheeppox virus

Some of Europe's most well-known historic manuscripts, including the York Gospels, have proven to be biological time capsules for uncovering the 3,500-year history of the sheeppox virus (SPPV).

4 Sep 2026

Extreme long-distance running triggers major surge in body's cannabis-like molecules

A marathon, 100 kilometers or even 230 kilometers in one go: Anyone running such distances puts enormous strain on their body.

4 Sep 2026

Research reveals how natural enzymes transcribe expanded eight-letter genetic code

All known life on earth utilizes the same genetic alphabet, consisting of four letters. Now, researchers at University of California San Diego have demonstrated that one of biology's most essential enzymes can accurately read and transcribe an expanded, eight-letter genetic alphabet.

4 Sep 2026

Ovulation drives women to use conspicuous luxury to attract men

Hormonal fluctuations associated with fertility are associated with a greater tendency for women to use conspicuous luxury symbols, potentially to be noticed by men, according to a study published September 2, 2026, in the open access journal PLOS One by Aekyoung Kim of Jeonbuk National University of the Republic of Korea, and colleagues.

4 Sep 2026

Submicron IR map of the human cell: Label free cellular imaging with O-PTIR, FTIR and Raman

What if you could map the chemistry inside a human cell - without fluorescent labels or stains?

From Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp 4 Sep 2026

Early autism identification faces gaps beyond screening

A Pediatric Investigation study finds that early autism identification can fail after screening, with gaps in referral, diagnosis, service capacity, and support.

4 Sep 2026

Researchers find greater microplastic burden in lung cancer patients

People with lung cancer are more likely to have microplastics in their lungs and to have larger quantities of microplastics in their lungs, according to research that will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

4 Sep 2026

Gestational diabetes history linked to earlier development of type 2 diabetes

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) shows that, in women that develop type 2 diabetes (T2D), those who had gestational diabetes (GD) when pregnant are developing T2D on average almost 13 years earlier than those who did not.

3 Sep 2026

What your gut microbes may have to do with how your brain ages

This review examines how diet-driven changes in the gut microbiota and microbial metabolites may influence cognitive aging through immune, metabolic, neural, endocrine, and barrier-related pathways. It highlights SCFAs, tryptophan-derived metabolites, and bile acids as key signaling mediators while emphasizing that much of the mechanistic evidence remains preclinical and human evidence is largely associative.

3 Sep 2026

Far-UVC light tested to combat avian influenza on farms

When a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, tore through U.S. poultry farms in early 2025, farmers culled tens of millions of birds and egg prices soared.

3 Sep 2026

Some fertility treatments may raise Kawasaki disease risk in children

A large-scale study in Japan, led by researchers from the University of Osaka and the Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, has found that certain fertility treatments are associated with an increased risk of Kawasaki disease before age five, although the association differed by treatment type.

3 Sep 2026

Ambient AI scribes may risk missing vital patient information

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to take notes can change the nature of interactions between patients and clinicians, sometimes missing vital information, according to the results of a new review.

3 Sep 2026

What 107 professional MMA fighters actually ate before and after weigh-in

Professional UFC fighters followed highly structured dietary patterns around competition, sharply restricting carbohydrates, fiber, fluids, and sodium before weigh-in before rapidly increasing carbohydrate, fluid, and sodium intake afterward. Despite aggressive post-weigh-in refueling, carbohydrate intake fell again on fight day, suggesting that some fighters may not fully restore glycogen stores before competition.

3 Sep 2026

The obesity-microbiome story is more complicated than ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria

This review finds that obesity is linked to reciprocal interactions between diet, the gut microbiome, microbial metabolites, and host metabolic pathways that influence appetite, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and energy balance across the lifespan. It highlights diet as a particularly tractable way to influence this system, while emphasizing that microbiome changes associated with GLP-1 therapies remain difficult to separate from weight loss and that functional multi-omics approaches may help enable more personalized interventions.

3 Sep 2026