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Plague emerged earlier than thought and hit hunter-gatherers hard

Ancient DNA from 46 Lake Baikal hunter-gatherers revealed two early plague outbreak phases about 5,500 years ago, with Yersinia pestis detected in 18 individuals. The findings suggest these basal plague strains caused lethal, child-heavy outbreaks long before dense farming societies, cities, or classical flea-borne bubonic plague emerged.

21 Jun 2026

New human protein atlas maps how cancer rewires the body’s tissues

Researchers created a DIA-MS atlas of 13,609 proteins across 2,856 samples from fetal, healthy adult, paired non-tumor, and tumor tissues. The resource maps tissue-specific protein patterns, cancer-associated changes, organ-specific drug-toxicity signals, and candidate therapeutic targets.

21 Jun 2026

Creatine may improve cancer immunotherapy by energizing immune cells

Creatine, the organic acid that is popularly taken as a supplement by athletes and bodybuilders, supercharges a critical class of immune cells that activate and prepare the body’s key cancer-fighters, according to new UCLA research.

21 Jun 2026

Bogotá’s strictest COVID restrictions delivered the clearest air-quality gains

A natural quasi-experiment in Suba, Bogotá, found that more stringent COVID-19 mobility restrictions were associated with larger reductions in PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ air pollution. The findings suggest targeted traffic and emissions controls could improve urban air quality, although ozone responses were more complex, and the results may not generalize beyond this high-traffic district.

21 Jun 2026

Google’s AMIE beats doctors on key simulated disease-management tasks

Google’s AMIE research AI matched primary care physicians overall in simulated, multi-visit disease-management reasoning and scored higher on several measures of plan appropriateness, treatment precision, investigation precision, and guideline alignment. The study highlights the promise of conversational AI for longitudinal care, while emphasizing that AMIE is not ready for clinical use and still needs prospective real-world testing.

21 Jun 2026

Synthetic gut communities reveal how diet rewires the microbiome

Synthetic microbial communities give researchers controlled models for testing how diet reshapes gut microbial ecology, metabolism, and host-relevant responses. The review highlights how SynComs can strengthen causal inference, improve intervention testing, and support future precision nutrition, while noting major challenges in stability, standardization, and ecological realism.

21 Jun 2026

Aging immune cells may explain why autoimmunity rises later in life

A new Review reveals how aging can push the immune system into a paradoxical state, weaker against threats yet more prone to attacking the body’s own tissues.

21 Jun 2026

Scientists develop wearable robotic system to restore hand function

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, in collaboration with ETH Zurich, the Technical University of Munich and Medical Faculty Belgrade, have developed a wearable neurorobotic system that combines electrical neurostimulation with hand exoskeletons.

19 Jun 2026

Zebrafish study links altered neuronal genes to hyperarousal states

The altered presence of tiny fragments of neuronal genes, called microexons, causes hyperarousal in zebrafish. This is the main conclusion of an international study led by the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG).

19 Jun 2026

New method generates renewable supply of progenitor immune cells

In a paper published in Cell, a USC Stem Cell-led team reports a new way of generating a renewable and expandable supply of the progenitor cells that give rise to macrophages.

19 Jun 2026

Psychologist warns DNA testing kits can bring unexpected risks

DNA testing kits are often gifted for Father's Day, Christmas and special occasions. The idea of learning more about yourself and unearthing some long-forgotten family history is certainly appealing for many, but a psychologist has warned that these presents can come with profound psychological implications.

19 Jun 2026

Study discovers epigenetic mechanism protecting tooth progenitor cells from stress

An epigenetic "mechanostat" has been discovered that protects tooth-forming progenitor cells from mechanical stress and supports lifelong tissue renewal.

19 Jun 2026

AI discovers hidden antibiotic candidates inside disease-causing prions

New antibiotic candidates for drug-resistant bacteria may reside inside prions, mis-folded protein in the brain best known for rare and fatal degenerative brain diseases.

19 Jun 2026

Gene therapy successfully treats deadly childhood liver disease in mice

A new gene therapy has been used to successfully treat a deadly childhood liver disease using mice that model this disease by researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

19 Jun 2026

Massage gun use around eyes may cause serious retinal injuries

Using a massage gun on or around the eyes risks major tearing and bruising to the retina-the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye-doctors warn in the online journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a young man who had used one of these devices.

18 Jun 2026

Sugary chewing gum may temporarily enhance beetroot's blood pressure benefits

For the first time, researchers at King's College London have discovered a link between chewing sugary gum after consuming vegetables high in nitrate, such as beetroot, spinach and kale, on lowering blood pressure.

18 Jun 2026

Fish oil supplements show little benefit for Alzheimer's prevention

Americans spend more than $1 billion annually on fish oil supplements, in part due to purported cognitive benefits from the omega-3 fatty acids they contain, essential nutrients that help form brain cell connections needed for cognition.

18 Jun 2026

Breast milk nutrient boosts long-term immune system development

Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), the most abundant trans fatty acid found in human breast milk, helps boost immune system development and has long-lasting effects on immune system health in mice, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Chicago.

18 Jun 2026

Scientists discover rotating brain waves that coordinate sensory information

Spiraling waves of neural activity appear and travel in the brain. Scientists hope to learn if these rotating waves on-the-move play a global role in sensing and interpreting internal and external stimuli, in laying down memory, and in managing motor performance.

18 Jun 2026