Medical Science News

RSS

Indoor tanning loads normal skin with mutations linked to melanoma

Indoor tanning is associated with markedly higher mutation burdens and cancer-driving genetic changes in melanocytes taken from normal-appearing skin, including areas usually protected from sunlight. These molecular alterations provide a biological explanation for the higher odds of melanoma and multiple primary tumors seen in heavy tanning bed users.

15 Dec 2025

Circadian control of neutrophils limits heart damage after myocardial infarction

Neutrophils cause time-of-day–dependent collateral tissue damage after sterile injury through an intrinsic circadian program. Activating a CXCL12–CXCR4 checkpoint repositions neutrophils, limiting inflammatory injury without impairing antimicrobial defense.

15 Dec 2025

Gut bacteria patterns differ in autism and siblings and link to social symptoms

This sibling-controlled East Asian study found that autistic individuals, their unaffected siblings, and typically developing controls differ in gut microbiota diversity and composition, with the clearest separation between autism and typical development. Specific taxa, particularly the butyrate-producing genus Anaerostipes, were modestly associated with social communication and internalising symptoms, supporting a gut–behaviour link without implying causality.

15 Dec 2025

GDF3 protein sustains harmful inflammation in aging immune cells

As people age, their bodies develop a dysfunctional immune system, which can leave older adults more susceptible to conditions like sepsis.

15 Dec 2025

AI uncovers hidden mechanisms of covert attention and emergent neuron types

Shifting focus on a visual scene without moving our eyes - think driving, or reading a room for the reaction to your joke - is a behavior known as covert attention.

15 Dec 2025

Researchers explore how the visual brain system recovers following traumatic injury

The brain shows a capacity to recover from traumatic injury, which somewhat contradicts the widely accepted idea that neurons do not regenerate.

15 Dec 2025

Breast cancer disrupts stress hormone rhythms in the brain

"The brain is an exquisite sensor of what's going on in your body," says Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Assistant Professor Jeremy Borniger. "But it requires balance. Neurons need to be active or inactive at the right times. If that rhythm goes out of sync even a little bit, it can change the function of the entire brain."

15 Dec 2025

Advances in delivering oxygen-sensitive gut bacteria improve microbial therapies

Recent research has identified practical ways to protect and deliver oxygen-sensitive gut bacteria for a path toward safer, standardized microbial therapies that could reduce reliance on donor-based faecal microbiota transplants.

15 Dec 2025

Researchers block virus entry by targeting key protein interaction

Washington State University researchers have found a way to modulate a common virus protein to prevent viruses from entering cells where it can cause illness, a discovery that could someday lead to new antiviral treatments.

15 Dec 2025

New framework tracks response to anti-amyloid therapies in Alzheimer's

In the last few years, progress has been made in the fight against Alzheimer's disease with a class of therapies called anti-amyloid antibodies (anti-Aβ).

15 Dec 2025

Blood test identifies colon cancer patients who benefit from anti-inflammatory medication

A blood test could help doctors decide which patients with colon cancer should receive anti-inflammatory medication along with chemotherapy after surgery, according to new study in JAMA Oncology.

15 Dec 2025

Tiny blood particles help shuttle a hormone through the body

Researchers at Touro University Nevada have discovered that tiny particles in the blood, called extracellular vesicles (EVs), are a major player in how a group of hormones are shuttled through the body. Physical exercise can stimulate this process.

15 Dec 2025

Lipoic acid shows limited benefit in progressive multiple sclerosis

The over-the-counter supplement lipoic acid may have a small beneficial effect in slowing the loss of gray matter in the brains of people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, according to new research led by Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland VA Health Care System.

15 Dec 2025

New insights explain the Treg paradox in colorectal cancer

In most solid tumors, high numbers of regulatory T (Treg) cells are associated with poorer outcomes because they dampen the immune system's ability to fight against a tumor.

15 Dec 2025

New insights into alcohol-related DNA damage and cancer risk

Alcohol consumption leads to the formation of a toxic compound called acetaldehyde, which damages DNA.

15 Dec 2025

Scientists create light-controlled versions of cholesterol

High levels of cholesterol are linked to heart disease, stroke, and many other health problems. However, this complex and vital fatty, water insoluble molecule-a lipid-is found in every cell of the body and is not all bad news. It also regulates crucial processes that science has yet to map.

15 Dec 2025