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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

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

Review highlights the importance of miR-23b in shaping cancer development and progression

A new review highlights the growing importance of miR-23b, a small but powerful regulator of gene expression, in shaping the development and progression of a wide range of cancers.

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

Specialized selenoproteins play critical role in regulating cellular health

A new review highlights the remarkable importance of selenoproteins, a specialized group of molecules that, despite their small size, play a decisive role in shaping cellular fate and maintaining biological balance.

5 Aug 2026

Intertwined cellular processes reshape understanding of diabetes

A deeper understanding of how key cellular processes interact is reshaping perspectives on diabetes and its wide-ranging complications.

5 Aug 2026

Scientists unmask immune cells that supercharge the fight against cancer

A little‑known group of hard-to-find immune cells could help transform cancer treatment, scientists at the University of Manchester’s Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, have found.

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

Artificial cells offer new insights into living cell behavior

Using simple artificial cells, a research group led by Makito Miyazaki of the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan have uncovered fundamental physical principles that govern how living cells change their shape.

5 Aug 2026

Mouse study shows how liraglutide briefly rewires gut bacterial communities

Researchers treated male high-fat-fed mice with liraglutide for 14 days, then tracked fecal bacterial communities after a 7-day washout using 16S rRNA sequencing. Liraglutide shifted the microbiome toward Lactobacillus- and Leptogranulimonas-related taxa while reducing several fermentative taxa, but most changes moved back toward baseline after treatment stopped.

4 Aug 2026

Malaria infection causes permanent damage to the spleen immune cells

Macrophages formed in the bone marrow can only assume the function of embryonal phagocytes, or "scavenger cells," to a certain degree according to a study by the University of Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne.

4 Aug 2026

3D DNA organization in rare immune cells can explain Crohn's disease risk

A new study co-led by Prof. Valeriya Malysheva, group leader at the VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, has been published in Nature Genetics.

4 Aug 2026

Insilico Medicine highlights AI-powered biological target discovery for rare sinonasal cancer

Insilico Medicine ("Insilico"), a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biotechnology company, today announced the publication of a collaborative study in the journal npj Precision Oncology.

4 Aug 2026

Cryo-EM study reveals dynamic structure of human norovirus

Human norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide and is estimated to infect 600–700 million people each year.

4 Aug 2026

Genetic study explains global spread of invasive longhorned ticks

The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, spreads serious pathogens, including severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus, Rickettsia, and Theileria, and its bite can cause a meat allergy in humans.

4 Aug 2026

DNA Script and leading healthcare solutions provider awarded up to $26 M by ARPA-H to advance cell-free DNA bioproduction

DNA Script, a pioneer in DNA synthesis providing scientists with rapid, on-demand access to high-quality DNA, today announced that in collaboration with prime awardee GE HealthCare, they have been awarded up to $26 million in funding for a four-year initiative from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

From DNA Script 4 Aug 2026

Australian-first twin study aims to to unlock new insights into immune health

An Australian-first study of twins will seek to find out why two genetically similar people respond differently to infections, diseases and treatments.

4 Aug 2026

New genomic approach links rare immune cells to autoimmune disease risk

Much of how genetic risk leads to disease has remained hidden. In many cases, genetic variants linked to disease do not act on nearby genes along the chromosome.

4 Aug 2026