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Two heart nerve cell types sustain cardiac stability in mice

Researchers identified two major intrinsic cardiac neuron populations in mice: Npy-positive neurons regulate parasympathetic heart rate control and support coronary perfusion, while Ddah1-positive neurons help maintain electrical stability during extreme stress. Removing Npy-positive neurons caused fatal cardiac failure, whereas loss of Ddah1-positive neurons increased susceptibility to malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest under stress.

23 Jul 2026

Persistent financial hardship accelerates age-related cognitive decline

Persistent financial hardship accelerates age-related cognitive decline, according to a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

23 Jul 2026

Study provides a practical recall-by-genotype strategy for precision psychiatry research

Clinical biobanks that combine genomic data with electronic health records (EHRs) have become powerful resources for discovering genetic variants associated with disease.

23 Jul 2026

Study sheds light on emerging bacterial cause of urinary tract infections

New research from the University of South Alabama is shedding light on an emerging bacterial cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) that appears to be more common along the Gulf Coast than previously recognized.

23 Jul 2026

Study uncovers biological differences behind co-occurring conditions of Down syndrome

In a groundbreaking new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) discovered unique biological processes altered among individuals with Down syndrome who have different sets of co-occurring conditions.

23 Jul 2026

Targeting acid ceramidase could improve healthy aging and longevity

Our population is aging. The United Nations reports that by 2050, the number of people over the age of 85 on our planet is set to triple.

23 Jul 2026

Endotrophin may reveal metabolic risks linked to changing body fat

Researchers have identified a biological marker that rises and falls as body fat changes, offering new insight into how weight gain and weight loss may influence metabolic health.

23 Jul 2026

Longer activity bouts link to lower future dementia and mental health risks

A UK Biobank analysis of 66,483 adults found that longer daily moderate-to-vigorous activity bouts and less fragmented activity were associated with lower subsequent risks of inpatient diagnoses of dementia, depression, and anxiety, independent of total activity time. In neuroimaging data from 13,108 participants, these activity patterns were also associated with more favorable brain measures, although the observational analyses cannot establish cause and effect.

23 Jul 2026

Evidence shows artificial sweeteners cannot be judged as a single group

This narrative review found that non-nutritive artificial sweeteners have compound-specific and context-dependent associations with gut microbiota, metabolism, and health-related outcomes. Evidence does not support treating all sweeteners as uniformly harmful or safe, with human findings often limited or inconsistent.

23 Jul 2026

Higher neuroticism may curb strenuous exercise, genetic analysis suggests

Researchers used a UK survey and genetic data to examine whether higher neuroticism is associated with lower exercise engagement. Under the study’s Mendelian randomization assumptions, higher neuroticism was estimated to reduce participation in moderate and vigorous physical activity, while conscientiousness may lessen this effect.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals how DNA misfolding causes congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in 100 babies born each year. One of the many causes for this disorder is having only one functional copy of the gene TBX5, instead of two healthy copies, inherited from parents.

23 Jul 2026

Researchers link genome folding to gene activity and brain tissue organization in Alzheimer's

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Washington shed new light on Alzheimer's disease that could point to new directions for treatment.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals dynamic remodeling of genome architecture during brain aging

Researchers have discovered that the human brain undergoes widespread age-related changes in genome regulation beginning in midlife that may help explain why aging is the greatest risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

23 Jul 2026

MEK inhibition could limit T cell exhaustion and give a boost to immunotherapy

A major pillar of cancer immunotherapy involves stimulating T cells, the specialized killers of the immune system, to attack tumors.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals high prevalence of post-pandemic fatigue and sleep disturbances

Disrupted sleep and anxiety may be an ongoing issue for many people after the pandemic, whether due to COVID-19 directly or to the stress and anxiety caused by the global pandemic, and may contribute to the fatigue commonly reported by people with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS, or 'long COVID').

23 Jul 2026

Modifiable cardiovascular risk factors linked to unstable coronary artery plaques

Cardiovascular risk factors are linked to higher risk of heart disease, but it has been unknown how they are related to abrupt closure of the coronary arteries leading to heart attack and sudden cardiac death.

23 Jul 2026

Chemotherapy leaves early genomic fingerprints in childhood tumors

Nearly half of childhood tumors treated with common types of chemotherapy showed detectable DNA changes linked to treatment within 18 months, according to a new international study led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

23 Jul 2026

RNA-based testing can improve detection of key lung cancer biomarkers

New research has shown that RNA-based testing can improve the detection and interpretation of clinically actionable genomic alterations leading to MET exon 14 skipping in lung cancer patients—important biomarkers that may be missed by DNA-only approaches.

23 Jul 2026

Review expands the role of selenium metabolism in ferroptosis

For decades, selenium has been recognized as an essential micronutrient, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4)-a selenium-containing enzyme-has been widely regarded as the central guardian against ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death driven by lipid peroxidation.

23 Jul 2026

Time zone changes disrupt vital gut bacteria during travel

A dream holiday, an exotic destination, a long-haul flight, and finally some well-deserved rest. The problem is that many travelers arrive at their destination only to spend the first days of their vacation struggling with fatigue, sleep disturbances, low energy levels, and digestive issues.

23 Jul 2026