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Autophagy changes with age, sex and cell type, study finds

Taking out the trash is a chore that even our cells cannot escape. Through a process known as autophagy, they place misshapen proteins and other cellular garbage in biological containers in order to digest them into their molecular building blocks.

1 Oct 2026

Culturally tailored tobacco prevention shows promise for Native youth

Two studies examining commercial tobacco use in Native American communities underscore the importance of culturally responsive prevention and a deeper understanding of how substance use fits into people's everyday lives.

1 Oct 2026

NIH-funded trials will test pregnenolone for addiction and depression

Center for BrainHealth investigator Francesca Filbey, PhD, and UTSW investigator Sherwood Brown, MD, PhD, have secured two awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund two major collaborative studies investigating whether the naturally occurring neurosteroid pregnenolone can help treat substance use disorders and co-occurring depression.

1 Oct 2026

Synthetic protein targets TLR4 membrane region to reduce inflammation

To sense their environment and respond accordingly, cells enlist membrane proteins as communication hubs, receiving molecular messages from outside and triggering responses inside.

1 Oct 2026

Stroke reshapes brain environment to accelerate glioma progression

After a stroke, the brain gets to work repairing damaged tissue. But new research suggests some of the same biological processes that aid recovery may also help tumor cells grow and spread.

1 Oct 2026

Sex chromosomes influence immunity, cancer, aging and disease risk

A new review published in Science brings together growing evidence that the X and Y chromosomes do much more than determining biological sex. They also shape how cells function, age and respond to disease.

1 Oct 2026

Phage proteases activate bacterial immune response to viral infection

In the fight to find better treatments for bacterial infections, one rapidly evolving therapy is a group of viruses called bacteriophages (phages). Phages can attack and kill dangerous bacteria while leaving human cells unharmed and bypassing antibiotic resistance.

1 Oct 2026

Loss of tumor suppressor p53 reshapes Wnt signaling to drive mutant cell expansion

A protein known as p53 is, of all tumor suppressors in human cancer, the most frequently altered by gene mutations.

1 Oct 2026

Mitochondrial protein SLC25A34 links body clock, cold and diet to brown fat metabolism

Brown fat burns fuel to make heat, and this activity is controlled by the body clock: dropping during sleep and rising before waking. But a cold morning or a skipped meal makes demands the clock never planned for.

1 Oct 2026

Spatial mapping reveals macrophage niches linked to severe COVID-19 lung injury

Researchers at the University of Liège have used imaging-based spatial single-cell transcriptomics to map the cellular organization of lungs from people who died with severe COVID-19.

1 Oct 2026

Varying mutation rates in healthy organs explain cancer risk

A new study by scientists at City of Hope® and TGen, part of City of Hope, found surprisingly large differences in the number of mutations present in organs of healthy individuals.

1 Oct 2026

Higher daily step counts linked to better teenage mental health

Every extra walk to school, kickabout in the park or trip to the shops could be doing more for teenage mental health than first thought, according to new research tracking thousands of adolescents in the US.

1 Oct 2026

Scientists discover new cell type that may help regulate blood vessel growth in the heart

Researchers have discovered a new cell type that may help regulate blood vessel growth in the heart during development and in response to injury, according to a study from Weill Cornell Medicine.

1 Oct 2026

Study links immune status to herpesvirus retinitis progression

The clinical progression and outcomes of two major herpesvirus retinitis forms are associated with patients' immune status, reveal Institute of Science Tokyo scientists.

1 Oct 2026

New fluorescent paper strips make vitamin B12 testing simpler

Measuring vitamin B12 in food usually means bringing the sample to the laboratory. A new fluorescent sensor could help move part of that process onto something much simpler: a paper strip or cotton swab.

1 Oct 2026

Robotic assisted hip and knee replacements shows no clear benefit over conventional methods

The NHS recently outlined plans to expand robotic surgery sevenfold by 2035, but initial findings from the first UK big data studies on this topic published by The BMJ suggest that robotic assisted hip and knee replacements offer no clear benefit over conventional surgery for implant survival, revision risk, or surgical complications.

1 Oct 2026

Gut bacterial metabolite worsens brain damage after stroke, study finds

Researchers at LMU have discovered how a metabolite produced by gut bacteria can influence brain damage after stroke.

1 Oct 2026

New framework maps depression symptoms to unique brain circuits

A research team from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) has published a scientific review proposing a paradigm shift in the way depression is understood and studied.

1 Oct 2026

Common gene variant reduces effectiveness of pediatric asthma drug

Children with a variant in the SERPINE1 gene – which is found in 60% of the population – may be less responsive to mepolizumab, a drug used to treat asthma flares, according to a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

1 Oct 2026

EU project calls for strict regulations to stop forever chemicals

Chemical pollution from so-called "forever chemicals" poses major challenges to human health and the environment. For five years, an EU funded research and innovation project has investigated the scale of the problem and possible solutions for persistent, mobile and toxic chemicals, including PFAS.

1 Oct 2026