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Scientists discover IC–encoder neurons that shape visual perception

An illusion is when we see and perceive an object that doesn't match the sensory input that reaches our eyes. In the case of the image below, the sensory input is four Pac Man–like black figures.

15 Sep 2025

Scientists map kissing bugs beyond the Americas to assess Chagas threat

Researchers compiled the first comprehensive dataset of 16 non-American triatomine bug species, mapping 396 verified records across Africa, Asia, and Oceania. This resource supports global Chagas disease surveillance by identifying where potential vectors are establishing new populations.

15 Sep 2025

Daily meal timing influences longevity risk in adults, study reveals

Researchers analysing Aging Cell data from over 33,000 US adults found a U-shaped link between daily eating window length and mortality. Eating for 11–12 hours per day was tied to the lowest risk, while very short (<8h) or long (≥15h) windows raised death risk, especially in older and White participants.

15 Sep 2025

Study reveals how centenarians preserve youthful immune defenses

Researchers mapped immune cells from centenarians, their offspring, and younger controls across three cohorts using multi-omics single-cell profiling. They found that centenarians retain leaner helper pools but have enhanced cytotoxic and NK cell programs, along with reinforced NK–T communication networks.

15 Sep 2025

UC3M participates in a study to counteract the adverse effects of microgravity on astronauts

A pioneering international project led by prominent female scientists, involving research staff from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and promoted by the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), has just completed its parabolic flight campaign in Bordeaux (France).

15 Sep 2025

RSV vaccine slashes hospitalizations in older adults in real-world trial

A large, real-world randomized trial in Denmark found that the RSVpreF vaccine reduced RSV-related hospitalizations in adults aged 60 and over by over 80%. The vaccine also showed protection against broader respiratory illness with a favorable safety profile.

15 Sep 2025

Genetic study shows dual GIPR/GLP1R action curbs binge alcohol use

Researchers used drug-target Mendelian randomization to test whether genetically proxied activation of GLP1R and GIPR influences alcohol-related behaviors. They found that GIPR, especially when combined with GLP1R, was linked to lower binge and heavy drinking, healthier food preferences, improved liver markers, and reduced coronary artery disease risk.

15 Sep 2025

Researchers reveal why global gains against chronic diseases are stalling

Researchers analysed mortality data from 185 countries and found that while global non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths before age 80 declined from 2010 to 2019, progress slowed compared to 2001–2010. Gains were mainly from drops in heart disease and stroke, but rising burdens from diabetes, cancers, and neuropsychiatric conditions stalled momentum.

15 Sep 2025

Ketogenic diets may lower migraine frequency and medication use

This narrative review argues that the migraine brain is hypometabolic, with converging evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired glucose handling, neuroinflammation, microbiome shifts, and obesity-related pathways. It proposes ketogenic diets as a plausible preventive strategy that may reduce monthly migraine days and medication use, while emphasizing the need for larger, rigorous randomized trials and careful clinical oversight.

14 Sep 2025

Normal cells working together can sense far beyond their environment

The story of the princess and the pea evokes an image of a highly sensitive royal young woman so refined, she can sense a pea under a stack of mattresses.

13 Sep 2025

UCLA team develops engineered antibodies to fight cytomegalovirus infection

A UCLA research team has found a new way to prompt the immune system to kill cells infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV), a life-threatening infection that is particularly deadly in immunocompromised people.

13 Sep 2025

DeepInMiniscope enables high-resolution 3D imaging of brain activity in mice

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have created a miniaturized microscope for real-time, high-resolution, non-invasive imaging of brain activity in mice.

13 Sep 2025

Study identifies thalamic pathway that reinforces alcohol seeking in withdrawal

What compels someone to keep engaging in alcohol use, even if it damages their health, relationships and wellbeing? A new study from Scripps Research offers an important clue: a small midline brain region plays a key role in how animals learn to continue drinking to avoid the stress and misery of withdrawal.

13 Sep 2025

European consortium launches network for understanding biological systems

Complex biological systems are more than the sum of their parts – their properties emerge from the dynamic interaction of their components, such as molecules or cells.

13 Sep 2025

ISSCR expresses concern over NIH decision on fetal tissue research funding

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), the largest professional organization of stem cell researchers from around the world, is concerned about a recent statement attributed to NIH that the agency will not renew research grants involving human fetal tissue (HFT), and that research with HFT is not conducted responsibly or transparently.

13 Sep 2025

Cryo-EM reveals how blood clotting proteins fit together to trigger clot formation

If you've ever accidentally sliced yourself on a broken glass or a piece of paper, you may have noticed that the bleeding can be hard to stop.

13 Sep 2025

Novel RNA target offers hope for improving outcomes in patients with chronic limb ischemia

Mark W. Feinberg, MD, cardiologist with the Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, is the senior author of a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, "A smooth muscle cell lncRNA controls angiogenesis in chronic limb-threatening ischemia through miR-143-3p/HHIP signaling."

13 Sep 2025

Unlocking hidden soil microbes for new antibiotics

Most bacteria cannot be cultured in the lab-and that's been bad news for medicine. Many of our frontline antibiotics originated from microbes, yet as antibiotic resistance spreads and drug pipelines run dry, the soil beneath our feet has a vast hidden reservoir of untapped lifesaving compounds.

13 Sep 2025

Study reveals how the brain interprets certain aromas as taste

Flavored drinks without sugar can be perceived as sweet - and now researchers know why. A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, published in the journal Nature Communications, reveals that the brain interprets certain aromas as taste.

13 Sep 2025

Genetic mutation in some East Asians linked to aldehyde storm and increased liver disease risk

Researchers have identified the mechanism by which a common genetic mutation increases liver disease risk. Their findings suggest that healthy choices, such as increasing antioxidants and limiting exposure to smoke, may reduce the risk of this disease.

13 Sep 2025