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New tool can predict recurrence risk in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Cedars-Sinai investigators, leading a multi-institutional team, have developed and validated a tool to predict which patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) need closer monitoring because their cancer is more likely to recur.

17 Dec 2025

Distant astrocytes found to play a key role in spinal cord repair

Cedars-Sinai investigators have discovered a healing mechanism that could one day be harnessed to help treat patients with spinal cord injuries, stroke, and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

17 Dec 2025

Neural mechanisms underlying behavioral flexibility revealed in mice

From work meetings to first dates, it's essential to adjust our behavior for success. In certain situations, it can even be a matter of life or death.

17 Dec 2025

How the brain tracks distance in the dark without landmarks

Whether you are heading to bed or seeking a midnight snack, you don't need to turn on the lights to know where you are as you walk through your house at night.

17 Dec 2025

Intermittent fasting edges daily calorie cuts for blood pressure and long-term cardiovascular risk estimates

In a real-world registry study of adults with overweight or obesity, 5:2 intermittent fasting and daily calorie restriction both improved blood pressure over 12 weeks. Intermittent fasting produced modestly greater reductions in systolic and pulse pressure and a larger drop in BMI-based 30-year cardiovascular risk scores, without superior lipid or glycaemic effects.

17 Dec 2025

Plant-based omega-3s work better than expected in a year-long diet study

A year-long, diet-controlled intervention shows that flaxseed oil–derived alpha-linolenic acid significantly increases erythrocyte EPA, DPA, and DHA across omnivorous, vegetarian, and vegan diets. The magnitude of improvement is driven mainly by baseline omega-3 status, while absolute EPA and DHA levels in vegans remain lower than in omnivores.

17 Dec 2025

Brain structural changes linked to chronic PTSD in World Trade Center responders

New research among World Trade Center (WTC) responders with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has uncovered measurable physical changes in their brain structure, consistent with changes in the balance of myelinated to unmyelinated neurons (fast- and slow-conducting nerve cells) across both hemispheres of the brain.

17 Dec 2025

SARS-CoV-2 manipulates host cell's RNA to weaken the immune response

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil have discovered that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses a sophisticated tactic to evade the human body's defense system.

17 Dec 2025

Mucus-inspired hydrogel resists stomach acid and promotes gastrointestinal healing

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed an acid-resistant "ultra-stable mucus-inspired hydrogel" (UMIH), marking a breakthrough in the field of gastrointestinal medicine.

17 Dec 2025

Early embryos and the uterus engage in active communication during implantation

A new study shows that the embryo and the uterine lining conduct an active "conversation" from the very earliest stages of implantation. They engage in a back and forth of tiny packages called extracellular vesicles and lipid droplets, which carry metabolites and signals.

17 Dec 2025

Rethinking dopamine’s role in movement and Parkinson’s disease

A McGill-led study is challenging a popular theory about how dopamine drives movement, a discovery that could shift how scientists think about Parkinson's disease treatments.

17 Dec 2025

Lysophosphatidylcholines show gene-dependent effects in early Alzheimer’s disease

A new study presents robust evidence on the role of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) in the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers discovered that LPCs-compounds that transport a variety of healthy fatty acids to the brain-either promote Alzheimer's or protect against it, depending on a person's genetics.

17 Dec 2025

Stress may help explain why patients with depression are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease

Patients with depression are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and a new study suggests that stress may help explain why.

17 Dec 2025

Hyperphosphorylated tau may help protect the brain from infection

One of the main proteins that contributes to Alzheimer's disease is called phospho-tau (p-tau). When p-tau gets too many phosphate groups attached to it (a process called hyperphosphorylation), it starts to stick together and form clumps called "tangles" inside of brain nerve cells.

17 Dec 2025

Researchers uncover how a gene influences cell size across various cell types

What keeps our cells the right size? Scientists have long puzzled over this fundamental question, since cells that are too large or too small are linked to many diseases. Until now, the genetic basis behind cell size has largely been a mystery.

17 Dec 2025

Early life gut microbiome crucial for immune system development

Antibiotics are powerful treatments that have saved countless lives over the course of decades. New findings from Scripps Research have identified a way to preserve healthy immune development even when infants need antibiotic treatment.

17 Dec 2025

Urine-based microRNA clock predicts biological aging without a blood test

Researchers developed and validated a non-invasive urinary microRNA aging clock using extracellular vesicle miRNAs from more than 6,000 adults. The model predicts age with about 4 to 5 years error and links accelerated aging signals to type 2 diabetes.

16 Dec 2025

Salutogenic microbes offer new pathways to better health

Viruses and bacteria get a bad rap around the world but now Flinders University experts are identifying the positive 'upside' of powerful benefits that microbes have on human health.

16 Dec 2025

Specific gut bacterium reduces weight gain and improves metabolic health

The gut microbiome is intimately linked to human health and weight. Differences in the gut microbiome-the bacteria and fungi in the gut-are associated with obesity and weight gain, raising the possibility that changing the microbiome could improve health.

16 Dec 2025

Global nuclear medicine organizations unite to standardize quantitative PET imaging

Three world-leading nuclear medicine organizations--the SNMMI Clinical Trials Network (SNMMI-CTN), the Australasian Radiopharmaceutical Trials Network (ARTnet), and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Forschungs GmbH (EARL)--have jointly endorsed a unified PET/CT and PET/MR scanner accreditation framework to standardize and harmonize quantitative PET imaging worldwide.

16 Dec 2025