Health & Medicine

Medical and health research news

Health & MedicineSeptember 28, 2026

PLASTID ENVELOPE ION CHANNELS (PEC1/2) link Ca 2+ and jasmonic acid signaling in plant cells.

Plants constantly encounter adverse environmental interactions. One organelle is particularly specialized in stress signaling and phytohormone synthesis: the plastid. Calcium (Ca 2+ ), a key second messenger, is known to intersect with cellular phytohormone signaling networks. While cytosolic Ca 2+ dynamics have been studied extensively, the physiological relevance of stromal Ca 2+ transients and the identity of channels mediating rapid Ca 2+ flux into plastids remain largely unexplored. In this

Health & MedicineSeptember 28, 2026

Structural insights into fosfomycin efflux by a streptococcal ABC transporter.

Gram-positive bacteria encode a broad array of ABC transporters that mediate substrate translocation across the cell membrane, with some contributing to their survival under environmental stresses such as antimicrobial exposure. While several of these transporters have been shown to exhibit multidrug efflux activity, the functional roles of many others remain unknown. Here, using an efflux pump screen in the opportunistic human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae , we identified a previously uncha

Health & MedicineSeptember 26, 2026

Detection of "hidden" mitotic crossovers by long-read DNA sequencing.

Mitotic crossovers in diploid organisms are usually detected by looking for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for a marker. Assuming the crossover occurs between two duplicated chromatids, a single reciprocal crossover will result in two recombinant chromatids and two nonrecombinant chromatids. LOH will only be observed when a recombinant chromatid cosegregates with a nonrecombinant chromatid. Cells containing both recombinant chromosomes will not result in LOH. Below, we use long-range DNA sequencin

Health & MedicineSeptember 26, 2026

Amino acid homeostasis by CORVET/HOPS: A metabolic and stress resilience checkpoint for T cells.

Amino acid sufficiency is critical for T cell metabolic reprogramming, yet how T cells maintain amino acid homeostasis remains poorly defined. Here, we identify the CORVET and HOPS (CORVET/HOPS) tethering complexes as essential upstream regulators. In activated T cells, they sustain intracellular amino acid levels by promoting macropinocytosis to acquire extracellular nutrients. This function enables dual signaling outcomes: suppression of the integrated stress response (ISR) and activation of m

Health & MedicineSeptember 25, 2026

Bright monomeric fluorescent protein elite-niRFP704 for two-channel near-infrared STED nanoscopy.

The near-infrared (NIR) spectral region is attractive for live-cell imaging, due to low autofluorescence and reduced phototoxicity. Some phytochrome-derived fluorescent proteins absorb and emit fluorescence in the NIR, but have short fluorescence lifetimes and relatively low quantum yields, requiring higher laser powers thus limiting their usefulness for live-cell superresolution microscopy. Using the bacterial phytochrome miRFP703 as a template, we screened for variants with longer fluorescence

Health & MedicineSeptember 25, 2026

Quantitative nanoscale imaging shows peptide-MHC I complexes are monomeric and spatially regulated in human dendritic cells.

Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) molecules present antigenic peptides to cytotoxic T cells, a process central to immune surveillance. However, the nanoscale spatial organization of peptide-MHC I (pMHC I) on human dendritic cells (DCs), key initiators of cytotoxic T cell responses, remains largely unexplored. Here, we combine high-affinity soluble T cell receptors with DNA-based point accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (DNA-PAINT) to quantitatively map and count defi

Health & MedicineSeptember 25, 2026

Cannabinoid tolerance relies on CB 1 receptor ubiquitination by NEDD4L.

Cannabinoids, the active components of cannabis, exert numerous acute effects in the brain by engaging cannabinoid CB 1 receptors (CB 1 Rs). However, tolerance emerges rapidly after repeated drug exposure, undermining the efficacy of cannabinoid-based therapies and contributing to cannabis-associated adverse effects. Although the processes of CB 1 R short-term desensitization (i.e., receptor uncoupling and internalization) are well characterized, the mechanisms underlying CB 1 R long-term tolera

Health & MedicineSeptember 25, 2026

A gut symbiotic filamentous fungus reprograms host metabolism and the microbiota to confer radioprotection.

The gut mycobiome is increasingly linked to host physiology, yet functional insights are dominated by yeasts, leaving the roles of filamentous fungi largely unexplored. Here, we identify Mucor racemosus as a gut-resident symbiotic filamentous fungus that establishes intestinal colonization via both hyphal and spore forms. M. racemosus confers radioprotection through an integrated metabolic program coupling direct host support with microbiota-mediated amplification. The fungus produces L-glutamat

Health & MedicineSeptember 22, 2026

Why did some viruses evolve to be giants while others did not?

Viruses are ubiquitous mobile genetic elements that are obligate symbionts of cellular life forms and replicate exclusively within host cells. The current taxonomy of viruses includes 10 realms (the top rank taxon), 8 of which have small genomes in the range of one to about 60 kilobases and commensurately small virions. However, the two realms of viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes, Varidnaviria and Duplodnaviria , include several groups of viruses known as giant viruses, with genomes reach

Health & MedicineSeptember 21, 2026

YBX1 regulates RNA polymerase III transcripts to prevent inflammation.

Tolerance of endogenous nucleic acids is crucial for cellular homeostasis and when perturbed can lead to immune dysregulation. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) bind, modify, and compartmentalize endogenous RNAs to prevent their recognition by the innate immune system. We found that loss of a highly abundant RBP, the cold shock domain containing Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1), results in the spontaneous induction of an IL6/STAT3 inflammatory response and the upregulation of interferon-stimulated genes

Health & MedicineSeptember 21, 2026

Profile of C. Robin Buell.

C. Robin Buell has been a leading figure in plant genomics since the advent of DNA sequencing technology. She helped lead multiple consortia to sequence some of the first crop genomes at the turn of the millennium. She has since used the genomes to tackle questions in fundamental biology, plant evolution, and agriculture. Recently, she applied single-cell technologies to uncover how complex biosynthetic pathways are compartmentalized across different rare plant cell types. Now at the University

Health & MedicineSeptember 15, 2026

One mechanism, two diseases: Involvement of enzyme-substrate complexes in the pathogenesis of celiac disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Celiac disease (CeD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) share several key features. In both diseases HLA class II allotypes are the major genetic determinants, in both diseases there are antibodies to posttranslationally modified peptides (i.e., deamidated peptides in CeD and citrullinated peptides in RA) and in both diseases there are autoantibodies to enzymes that mediate these peptide modifications (i.e., transglutaminase 2 for CeD and peptidyl arginine deiminase 2 and 4 for RA). In CeD, recent in

Health & MedicineSeptember 15, 2026

Peptides adopt stable omega-loop structures in concentrated sulfuric acid.

The search for life beyond Earth has focused on planets and moons with liquid water, reflecting the assumption that complex biomolecules require aqueous environments to remain stable and functional. Such a view excludes a wide class of planetary settings, including the concentrated sulfuric acid clouds of Venus, where extreme acidity and minimal water are thought to preclude molecular structure despite suitable temperatures. A growing body of evidence shows that a wide range of organic molecules

Health & MedicineSeptember 15, 2026

Integrative modeling of the genome structure and dynamics in fission yeast.

Genome organization in the nucleus is highly structured and dynamic. Recent advances in genomic technology have enabled the measurement of genome-wide architecture and locus-specific motion, yielding contact maps and live-cell trajectories. However, these outcomes are derived from different modalities and are not directly comparable, with their quantitative integration being a key challenge. Here we establish a genome-wide live-cell imaging platform in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe , t

Health & MedicineSeptember 15, 2026

Targeting cholesterol-dependent Piezo1 activation impairs amoeboid migration in melanoma cells.

Bleb-based migration enables cancer cells to navigate the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment. Here, we report a phenotypic screen identifying drugs that inhibit bleb formation, a driver of amoeboid migration. Statins, including Fluvastatin, suppress amoeboid migration of melanoma cells in confined environments by reducing intracellular cholesterol. This disrupts plasma membrane tension sensing by Piezo1, lowering intracellular Ca 2+ levels. Both cholesterol supplementation and Piezo1 activatio

Health & MedicineSeptember 15, 2026

Resolving cell lineages and gene functions in the developing mouse gastrointestinal tract using in utero transduction.

How diverse cell lineages emerge and are genetically regulated during organogenesis are central questions in understanding the developmental origins of disease. However, the mouse gut, including its intrinsic enteric nervous system (ENS) derived from migratory neural crest, has remained difficult to experimentally target. Here, we introduce an in utero lentiviral nano-injection strategy that enables early and efficient access to progenitor cells of all major cell types within the developing gut

Health & MedicineSeptember 15, 2026

Multicellular rosette formation guides epithelial tissue assembly in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell organoids.

Mesenchymal-to-epithelial transitions are essential for epithelial tissue formation and thus the development of functional organs. Here, we demonstrate that the transition from a disordered mesenchymal state to a columnar epithelial structure in branched pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma organoids is associated with rosette formation. We show that fluctuations in acto-myosin contractions on the emerging apical side of branches with high cell density create a tug-of-war mechanism, leading to regul

Health & MedicineSeptember 15, 2026

Formin-1 maintains cochlear microtubule architecture required for hearing in humans and mice.

Formin proteins contribute to the cytoskeletal organization of multiple mammalian organ systems. Genetic defects in formins lead to neurologic, renal, reproductive, and cardiac disorders, but no human phenotype has been described for mutation of FMN1 , encoding formin-1, the first-identified formin. In an extended Palestinian kindred, autosomal recessive congenital hearing loss proved due to homozygosity for FMN1 c.2162-2A>G, which leads to aberrant splicing, nonsense mediated decay, and abse

Health & MedicineSeptember 15, 2026

Direct activation of SARM1 by dsDNA is not supported by biochemical and cellular evidence.

Sterile alpha and Toll/interleukin-1 receptor motif-containing protein 1 (SARM1) is a NAD + -consuming enzyme that drives axon degeneration and is activated by changes in the NMN/NAD + ratio. A recent study proposed that cytosolic double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) directly binds SARM1's TIR domain, activating it independently of this canonical mechanism. Here, we evaluate dsDNA-dependent SARM1 activation using purified SARM1, biochemical and biophysical assays, primary neurons, and cellular pharmacolo

Health & MedicineSeptember 13, 2026

Most-favoured-nation pricing for prescription drugs in US Medicare: a cohort study.

The prices of new medicines in the USA are among the highest in the world. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released mandatory most-favoured-nation payment models for prescription drugs covered under Medicare part B (GLOBE) and part D (GUARD). Under these payment models, manufacturers would be required to pay Medicare additional rebates for net drug prices exceeding the lowest international list price in a basket of 19 reference countries adjusted by gross domestic product per capi

Health & MedicineSeptember 12, 2026

Efficacy and safety of mitapivat in adults with transfusion-dependent α-thalassaemia or β-thalassaemia (ENERGIZE-T): a double-blind, randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled, phase 3 tr

The absence of disease-modifying therapies for patients with α-thalassaemia and oral disease-modifying therapies for patients with β-thalassaemia has been a substantial unmet need in these patients. We assessed the efficacy and safety of mitapivat, an oral allosteric activator of pyruvate kinase, in adults with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia. ENERGIZE-T is a global, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, conducted across 19 countries in North America, Europe

Health & MedicineSeptember 12, 2026

Tambotatug Pelitecan in Small-Cell Lung Cancer after Platinum-Based Therapy.

Tambotatug pelitecan (known as Tam-Peli, a new antibody-drug conjugate that targets the immune-checkpoint molecule B7-H3) showed promising clinical efficacy in patients with relapsed extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer in early-phase trials. In this phase 3, multicenter, open-label, randomized trial, we assigned eligible patients with small-cell lung cancer that had progressed after first-line platinum-based therapy in a 1:1 ratio to receive tambotatug pelitecan or topotecan. The primary end

Health & MedicineSeptember 11, 2026

Glycocalyx-edited mesenchymal stem/stromal cell therapy in advanced osteoporosis.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are osteoregenerative; however, their therapeutic efficacy for skeletal conditions is hampered by poor bone-homing ("osteotropism"). In preclinical models, this deficit is correctable by MSC glycocalyx editing to enforce sialylated Lewis X (sLeX) expression, thereby programming osteotropism. We conducted a first-in-human clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02566655) involving a single intravenous infusion of glycocalyx-edited autologous bone marrow-derive

Health & MedicineSeptember 11, 2026

Metax enables accurate cross-domain taxonomic profiling of metagenomes.

Taxonomic profiling is fundamental to microbiome research, yet achieving high species-level accuracy remains challenging for complex communities that span bacteria, viruses, eukaryotes, and archaea, and these limitations are exacerbated in low-biomass, host-dominated samples. We introduce Metax, a cross-domain taxonomic profiler that integrates coverage-based probabilistic modeling with an expectation-maximization framework to distinguish true microbial signals from artifacts. Across >600 sam

Health & MedicineSeptember 11, 2026

Mitochondrial ATP promotes T cell differentiation through chromatin accessibility.

Immune elimination of chronic infection or cancer requires cytotoxic CD8 + T cells that adopt and maintain an effector phenotype. Cytotoxic T cell function is a bioenergetically demanding process. Here, we report the ability of D-α-hydroxybutyrate (DAHB) to act as a signaling molecule that increases mitochondrial ATP production and drives the conversion of proliferating T cells into cytotoxic effector cells. DAHB signaling switches ATP production from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylatio

Health & MedicineSeptember 11, 2026

Immunogenicity of fractional one-fifth and one-half doses of 17DD yellow fever vaccine compared with full dose in children aged 9-23 months in Uganda: a phase 4, single-blind, randomised clinical tria

Fractional doses of yellow fever vaccines have been shown to be safe and immunogenic in randomised controlled trials in adults and children. However, little evidence still remains in children younger than 2 years. We assessed immunogenicity of one-fifth (0·1 mL) and one-half (0·25 mL) fractional doses compared with full doses of 17DD yellow fever vaccine in children aged 9-23 months in Kampala, Uganda. This phase 4, single-blind, randomised clinical trial evaluating fractional dose 17D

Health & MedicineSeptember 11, 2026

Joint impact of pathological burden and cognitive resilience on Alzheimer's disease risk.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is conventionally framed as a consequence of progressive amyloid-β and tau pathology, yet substantial heterogeneity in cognitive outcome at any given level of pathological burden indicates that cognitive resilience constitutes a parallel determinant of disease risk. Here we test whether pathology and resilience function as independent and synergistic dimensions of incident AD dementia. In 3,119 older adults from the China Cognition and Aging Study, followed for a m

Health & MedicineSeptember 11, 2026

Teclistamab versus lenalidomide-dexamethasone in high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma: a randomized phase 2 trial.

Teclistamab, a B cell maturation antigen-targeting bispecific antibody, has demonstrated substantial activity in relapsed multiple myeloma (MM), particularly in earlier lines of therapy, and may have higher efficacy in high-risk smoldering MM (HR-SMM) with a more functional immune system. In the randomized phase 2 ImmunoPRISM trial, we compared fixed-duration teclistamab with lenalidomide-dexamethasone (Rd) in HR-SMM. After a six-patient safety run-in, patients were randomized 2:1 to teclistamab

Health & MedicineSeptember 10, 2026

In situ structure of the human ciliary transition zone links linker defects to primary ciliary dyskinesia.

The ciliary transition zone (TZ) regulates ciliary proteome composition, yet its molecular architecture, protein content, and contribution to motile ciliopathies remain poorly defined. We applied in situ cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging to human multiciliated epithelial cells. This approach resolved TZ-specific doublet microtubules at subnanometer resolution and identified nine constituent proteins. We identified that ECT2L and DZANK1 form the major linker complexes between adj

Health & MedicineSeptember 10, 2026

Glycan recognition by a plant damage-sensing immune receptor.

Pathogens target and degrade the extracellular matrix surrounding plant cells. A central question is how cell wall-derived damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are recognized and integrated to trigger immune responses. We address this question by determining the structure of the extracellular multidomain of the IGP1 receptor in both apo form and bound to the cellulose-derived DAMP cellotriose. Structural analyses reveal that constitutive interactions of Leucine Rich Repeat (LRR)-malectin

Health & MedicineSeptember 10, 2026

Mechanism of membrane perforation in rotavirus cell entry.

Cell entry of nonenveloped animal viruses requires translocation of a macromolecular assembly across a cellular membrane. Double-stranded RNA viruses introduce into the target cell an inner capsid particle that does not uncoat further. Instead, it extrudes capped viral mRNA by virtue of polymerase and capping activities within it. As described here, we used cryogenic electron tomography to visualize the full course of rhesus rotavirus entry, from cell attachment and virion uptake to release of t

Health & MedicineSeptember 10, 2026

Lean adipocyte oxylipin signaling restrains breast cancer through ferroptosis.

Obesity increases breast cancer risk and tumor aggressiveness, yet the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. In this work, we identify a tumor-suppressive lipid signaling pathway in which mammary adipocytes secrete the oxylipin 9S-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9S-HODE). 9S-HODE induces ferroptosis in breast cancer cells by disrupting iron homeostasis. Adipocytes in obese mammary tissue produce less 9S-HODE, and tumors in obese mice exhibit reduced ferroptosis. Accordingly, ferrop

Health & MedicineSeptember 10, 2026

Chronic type II interferon promotes tumor growth through mitochondrial RNA–induced type I interferon and prostaglandin synthesis

Interferons (IFNs) are proinflammatory cytokines that promote immune cell engagement to eliminate malignant cells. Paradoxically, chronic interferon signaling can also activate anti-inflammatory mechanisms that allow cancer cells to evade the immune system. In this study, we sought to determine the cellular mechanisms underlying this switch from antitumorigenic to protumorigenic interferon activity. We show that chronic type II interferon (IFN-II) exposure distinctively induced tumor growth by a

Health & MedicineSeptember 10, 2026

Open framework–based Brønsted acid–Lewis base interfaces boost proton transfer in the fuel cells

Limited proton conductivity within the catalyst layer induces severe ohmic polarizations and constrains power output at high hydrogen-to-electricity efficiencies in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. We demonstrate that proton transfer can be boosted by constructing Brønsted acid–Lewis base interfaces through integrating organic open frameworks with Nafion. These confined interfaces mediate low-barrier relay pathways, disrupt hydrogen bonding to expedite water network reorganization, facilitat

Health & MedicineSeptember 9, 2026

An Inhalable Hybrid Nitric Oxide Nanogenerator for Lung Adenocarcinoma Treatment via Bioorthogonal-Activated Gas-Immunotherapy.

Nitric oxide (NO) holds promise for circumventing resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment (TME) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, their further application is greatly hindered by uncontrolled release kinetics and off-target toxicity. Herein, an inhalable NO nanogenerator (10m@FOMs-Cu) that reprograms the TME via specific NO release is developed by encapsulating a biorthogonal-activated NO-cisplatin prodrug into TME-responsive hybrid micelles, a

Health & MedicineSeptember 8, 2026

Intratumoral injection of EpCAM BITE, IL-12, and GM-CSF mRNA-LNPs blocks the growth of local treated and distant untreated tumors.

We have previously shown that a T cell engaging bispecific humanized anti-human EpCAM-CD3 antibody efficiently kills a human EpCAM positive human xenograft in an NSG partially humanized mouse injected intravenously with human T cells when the anti-EpCAM-CD3 was delivered intratumorally as an mRNA-LNP. To extend these results we tested the effects of combining the anti-human EpCAM-CD3 with various cytokines injected into a tumor on the left side of NSG mice and an uninjected tumor on the right si

Health & MedicineSeptember 8, 2026

Lysine iminylation derived from ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) play a central role for regulating protein function and cellular processes, with many PTMs arising from reactions with electrophilic metabolites. Here we extend the known landscape of PTMs with the identification of "lysine C 3 -iminylation," the conjugation of protein lysine residues with propionaldehyde. To stabilize iminylation for mass spectrometric analyses and distinguish it from other isomeric PTMs, we developed a fixation and stable-isotope

Health & MedicineSeptember 7, 2026

Use of the bacterial lysate OM-85 for the primary prevention of wheezing lower respiratory illness in preschool children: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses are a major health concern in preschool children. We report the results of the ORBEX trial which evaluated the safety and efficacy of the bacterial lysate, OM-85, in the primary prevention of wheezing lower respiratory tract illness. ORBEX is a parallel-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for the primary prevention of wheezing lower respiratory tract illness in young children at increased risk for asthma due to atopic dermatitis, parental asthma

Health & MedicineSeptember 7, 2026

Wealth redistribution policies to mitigate the impact of development assistance defunding: a retrospective evaluation and forecasting analysis up to 2030.

The ongoing decline in funding for humanitarian and development assistance stands in stark contrast to the global rise in wealth concentration and widening socioeconomic inequalities. This study aimed to assess whether the implementation of wealth redistribution policies-proposed in recent high-level international agreements to support development-could mitigate the health impact of the current official development assistance (ODA) defunding crisis. We conducted an integrated retrospective impac

Health & MedicineSeptember 6, 2026

Induction and consolidation atezolizumab with stereotactic body radiation therapy versus radiation alone in high-risk, early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (SWOG/NRG S1914): a multicentre, open-labe

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is the standard of care for early-stage, medically inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to test the addition of neoadjuvant, concurrent, and adjuvant atezolizumab with SBRT for early-stage NSCLC. In this multicentre, open-label, phase 3, randomised controlled trial, eligible patients from 146 institutions across the USA who had T1-T3N0M0 NSCLC ≤7 cm, and were medically inoperable or declined surgery, and had at least one risk f

Health & MedicineSeptember 6, 2026

The changing therapeutic landscape of small-cell lung cancer.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an exceptionally aggressive malignancy: highly proliferative, heterogeneous, and frequently metastatic at diagnosis. Although initially responsive to chemotherapy, such responses are typically transient, and recurrent disease has been largely refractory to standard cytotoxics. The past decade has been notable for major advances in our understanding of SCLC biology, and this preclinical progress is now informing multiple novel therapeutic approaches for this disea

Health & MedicineSeptember 5, 2026

Liposuction versus conservative therapy for patients with lipoedema in Germany: a multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial.

Lipoedema is a painful, chronic disease of the subcutaneous adipose tissue, predominantly affecting women. Conservative complex decongestive therapy is the standard of care but offers limited symptom relief. Liposuction appears to be a promising approach but lacks evidence of effectiveness and safety. The aim of this trial was to show superiority of liposuction compared with conservative therapy regarding relevant pain reduction with reasonable safety. In this multicentre, randomised controlled