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Economic instability linked to higher risk of long COVID in children

New research led by Mass General Brigham investigators suggests that long COVID is more prevalent in school-aged children and adolescents who experience economic instability and adverse social conditions.

5 Jan 2026

Global study shows gender stereotypes reflect social roles across societies

Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Bern in Switzerland have conducted the first cross-temporal, multinational study to compare views of gender using data collected 30 years apart.

5 Jan 2026

Jumping genes reshape cancer genomes through 3D chromatin interactions

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have revealed previously unappreciated roles for the retrotransposon LINE-1 in shaping the cancer genome structure and regulation.

5 Jan 2026

Finger-prick blood tests enable remote detection of Alzheimer’s biomarkers

A groundbreaking international study has demonstrated that Alzheimer's disease biomarkers can be accurately detected using simple finger-prick blood samples that can be collected at home and mailed to laboratories without refrigeration or prior processing.

5 Jan 2026

COVID-19 immunity stays specific and barely boosts protection against common cold coronaviruses

This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination generate strong, highly specific spike-binding immune responses with only modest effects on immunity to endemic common cold coronaviruses. Pre-existing coronavirus immunity patterns remain largely intact, indicating that SARS-CoV-2 has integrated into the human viral landscape without broadly reshaping cross-reactive protection.

5 Jan 2026

Gut microbes shown to directly shape brain function and evolution

A groundbreaking new study reveals that changes to the gut microbiome can change the way the brain works.

5 Jan 2026

Why intuition matters more than facts in flu vaccination decisions

Flu infections are rising sharply across the United States, contributing to at least 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths so far this season, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

5 Jan 2026

Bat-borne virus linked to unexplained illnesses in Bangladesh

Infectious disease researchers have identified Pteropine orthoreoviruses (PRVs), a group of newly emergent bat-borne viruses, as the culprit for previously unexplained illness in five Bangladeshi patients, one of whom eventually died with unexplained illness.

5 Jan 2026

Diabetes could drain up to INT$78.8 trillion from the global economy by 2050, study finds

This global macroeconomic analysis estimates that diabetes mellitus will cost the world economy INT$10.2 trillion between 2020 and 2050, rising to INT$78.8 trillion when unpaid informal caregiving is included. Using a health-augmented economic model across 204 countries, the study shows that informal care is the dominant and most underestimated driver of diabetes-related economic losses worldwide.

5 Jan 2026

Greenland shark eyesight offers clues to longevity, vision, and healthy aging

Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk sits in her office, eyes fixed on the computer monitor in front of her.

5 Jan 2026

Muscle loss may persist after weight recovery in anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric condition characterized by a fear of weight gain and reduced calorie consumption that can result in dangerous weight loss.

5 Jan 2026

Income sufficiency emerges as key factor in early brain development

Decades of research show that early psychosocial stress, including chronic exposure to adversity, can shape how a child's brain develops, with effects that last well beyond childhood. But families rarely experience just one source of stress at a time.

5 Jan 2026

Common blood signals explain why chronic diseases cluster as we age

This population-based study shows that shared and pattern-specific blood biomarkers reflect biological vulnerability underlying multimorbidity and the pace at which chronic diseases accumulate in older adults. Metabolic and systemic stress markers such as GDF15, HbA1c, cystatin C, and insulin consistently tracked higher disease burden and faster accumulation, with findings replicated across cohorts.

5 Jan 2026

Maintaining a healthy weight may help avoid low back pain

Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent condition associated with disability, work loss and economic burden to healthcare. Significant risk factors include poor sleep, physical and psychological stress, inactivity, advanced age and smoking.

5 Jan 2026

Inhalable nanotherapy can activate the immune system against checkpoint-resistant melanoma

Immune checkpoint molecules play a crucial role in keeping the immune system in balance and preventing an attack on the body's own cells.

5 Jan 2026

Calculator offers accurate scoring of multilingual language ability

More than half of the world's population speaks more than one language-but there is no consistent method for defining "bilingual" or "multilingual." This makes it difficult to accurately assess proficiency across multiple languages and to describe language backgrounds accurately.

5 Jan 2026