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Inherited Neandertal gene variant increases muscle mass in modern humans

Neandertals were generally more strongly built than most people living today. Their bones show signs of large muscles, and they had characteristic features such as prominent brow ridges and relatively short tooth roots.

5 Aug 2026

Patient-derived organoid biobank maps cancer gene dependencies

A new open resource of patient-derived cancer models has enabled researchers to create the first large-scale map of the genes that cancers rely on to survive, offering new routes for research into better and less toxic treatments for patients.

5 Aug 2026

Cellular senescence drives progression of spinal disc degeneration and pain

A growing body of scientific insight is drawing attention to cellular senescence as a central force in the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), a leading contributor to chronic low back pain worldwide.

5 Aug 2026

Tumor-secreted protein makes lung blood vessels leaky to promote metastasis

A protein secreted by common cancer types makes blood vessels leakier to allow metastatic tumors to form in the lungs, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

5 Aug 2026

KCNE gene family emerges as a promising target for future precision medicine

A growing understanding of the KCNE gene family is reshaping how scientists view the regulation of electrical signaling across the human body, highlighting its essential role in maintaining normal physiological function and its connection to a wide range of diseases.

5 Aug 2026

Targeted dendritic cell vaccines emerge as a major step forward in cancer immunotherapy

A major step forward in cancer immunotherapy is emerging through the growing development of dendritic cell vaccines, a highly targeted approach designed to harness the body's own immune system to fight tumors.

5 Aug 2026

Versatile receptor protein plays critical role in regulating tissue repair

A comprehensive new review highlights the expanding importance of Lgr6, a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family, as a critical regulator of tissue homeostasis, injury repair, and disease development across multiple organ systems.

5 Aug 2026

Study reveals evolutionary shift in gene crucial for the human nervous system

Certain variants in the PSPH gene, which encodes an enzyme called phosphoserine phosphatase, prevent the body from making sufficient amounts of amino acid L-serine, leading to a range of nervous system problems.

5 Aug 2026

New metric detects early Alzheimer’s changes in brain's white matter

Alzheimer's disease has traditionally been studied as a condition that primarily affects the brain's gray matter, where neuronal cell bodies are located and some of the disease's most characteristic lesions accumulate.

5 Aug 2026

New portable blood testing device allows remote health monitoring

A new portable blood testing device could allow patient health to be monitored at home through an app.

5 Aug 2026

Cancer cells exploit liver fat to evade immune system destruction

Liver metastases are among the most common and deadly forms of cancer spread. Now, researchers at VIB and KU Leuven, with international collaborators, have discovered how cancer cells exploit a fatty acid abundant in the liver to evade destruction by the immune system.

5 Aug 2026

Novel drug puts cancer cells under extreme metabolic stress

Cancer cells have a voracious appetite for sugar-using it to fuel their rapid growth. This is why many scientists have tried to develop drugs that block cancer cells' metabolism by cutting off their sugar supply.

5 Aug 2026

Newly discovered immune pathway prevents fatal fungal infections in mice

An immune pathway has been discovered which prevents a normally harmless fungus developing into a fatal infection.

5 Aug 2026

For students, an early social media account may come with a lasting classroom cost

Researchers linked retrospective digital-habit surveys from 5,227 northern Italian students with standardized test records spanning grades 2–10, including 4,545 students in the principal longitudinal analysis. Students who opened social media accounts in grades 6 or 7 had lower later Italian and mathematics scores than matched students who waited until grade 9 or later, although residual confounding cannot be excluded.

5 Aug 2026

Study maps how birth order tracks disease risk across 10 million siblings

Researchers analyzing claims from more than 10 million siblings linked first-born status to higher odds of several neurodevelopmental and allergic diagnoses, while second-born status tracked with substance abuse and gastrointestinal conditions. The observational study identified 150 significant birth-order associations across the phenome, but claims data and residual confounding prevent causal conclusions.

4 Aug 2026

The AI boom in women’s health could reinforce old biases

Authors argue that uncritical AI adoption in women’s health may encode reductive views of sex and gender, expand surveillance, and reproduce existing inequities. They call for greater scrutiny across the AI pipeline, community involvement, and structural change alongside carefully selected technologies.

4 Aug 2026