Medicine & Healthcare

The famed Japanese green tea powder may suppress nerve activity associated with sneezing in hay fever, according to a study in mice.

Changes in male hormones and excessive sugar intake work together in progressing liver damage

Researchers at the Cancer Research Institute and the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have uncovered a critical mechanism that enables gastric cancer to spread to distant organs. Their study shows that cancer cells stimulate Wnt signaling in surrounding stromal fibroblasts to produce hyaluronan, creating a supportive microenvironment that promotes metastasis. These findings provide new insight into how metastatic tumors establish themselves and suggest promising strategies to prevent gastric cancer progression.

HBsAg seroconversion, durable HBsAg loss, and the presence of anti-HBs are considered indicators of an almost complete cure of chronic HBV infection, which is viewed as a goal that is rarely achieved with current antiviral treatments. Researchers from the College of Medicine of National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital identified that the undetectable circulating HBV RNA after HBeAg-seroconversion is an important predictor of HBsAg seroconversion.

Kelli canines, Healthy fats in rice, Mercury and Earth in chorus, AI lights up materials discovery, Radiation detection with phones and Down to one. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus Women's Month 2026.

A team of researchers from Taiwan has developed PanMETAI, an AI-powered platform that analyses metabolic fingerprints in a simple blood sample to detect pancreatic cancer at its earliest stages—when treatment is most effective—achieving up to 94% diagnostic accuracy.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have found that potassium KCNQ2/3 channels in the brain, which are important for suppressing cell excitability, need to be fully functional to be trafficked to the appropriate part within the nerve cell and work properly. This link between channel functionality and localization may have important consequences for the development of therapies against KCNQ2/3-related epilepsy.

Pink1-mediated Parkin activation is insufficient to allow Parkin binding to dysfunctional mitochondria in NME3-defective cells. NME3-regulated lipid signal separates mitochondria from endoplasmic reticulum tethering for PINK1-mediated Parkin binding on depolarized mitochondria.

Discovery reveals how drug-resistant tumours can shift into a state that responds better to chemotherapy.

Researchers at Hiroshima University and Gifu Kyoritsu University identified Hepatitis B RNA serum levels as a biomarker that more accurately stratifies risk of liver cancer in individuals who have been functionally cured of chronic hepatitis B.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have found that a specific signaling pathway, the integrin αV–YAP–CTGF axis in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, may be associated with the development of liver fibrosis, portal hypertension, and liver cancer in patients with chronic liver congestion. These findings have important implications for the development of therapies aimed at preventing more severe forms of liver disease.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have developed a mouse model for achondroplasia. The model identified the importance of a signaling molecule called FGFR3 and a pathway called CREB in regulating bone growth. This pathway is also at least partially responsible for the pathology associated with achondroplasia and impaired bone growth. Their findings advance our understanding of the process of bone growth and provide novel therapeutic targets for achondroplasia.

Glutamine transporter inhibition has been found to suppress cell growth

Duke-NUS scientists have identified how a small number of overactive genes may drive widespread changes in brain function in Down syndrome, helping explain how an extra chromosome affects learning and memory.

Rehabilitation on weekends and public holidays may improve post-surgery recovery for hip fractures

An international collaborative research team, including researchers from the Faculty of Frontier Engineering at Kanazawa University, has for the first time elucidated sex differences in motor unit firing patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease. Utilizing high-density surface electromyography (HD-SEMG), their detailed analysis of motor unit activity revealed that female patients exhibited significantly greater asymmetry in motor unit discharge rates and lower persistent inward currents (PICs) compared to males. These findings suggest that neurodegeneration may be more asymmetrical in females, even when presenting with similar motor symptoms. This study indicates that motor unit behavior can serve as a sensitive evaluation tool to highlight differences in disease presentation between sexes, potentially leading to the development of personalized treatment strategies that consider sex-specific factors in the future.

Specific types of malocclusion, or bite misalignment, are associated with tooth loss. A group of researchers recently investigated the effects of anterior crossbite and anterior open bite on tooth loss using one of the largest community-based cohorts, the Tohoku Medical Megabank Cohort Study (2013–2017). The study determined that anterior crossbite increases the risk of tooth and molar loss compared to adults with normal occlusion.

Researchers at Tohoku University discovered an intranodal lympho-venous shunt (a sort of bypass route) that could help us unravel the complicated, intertwined network of our body’s lymphatic system.

This research study assessing 23,000 mother-child pairs found that higher maternal depression around the period of birth may impair mother-infant bonding and increases the risk of autism in their daughters.

Study highlights the uniqueness of individual brain functional connectomes as a promising approach to identify biomarkers for major depressive disorder.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have used 3D-printing technology to improve the viral titer of microneedle array patches, resulting in effective immunogenicity and protection against infection in mice

A new meta-analysis shows that when people eat may be as important as how long they eat. Eating earlier in the day appears to support better metabolic health than eating late, even within time-restricted eating patterns.

Nearly 40% of new cancer cases worldwide in 2022 may be associated with modifiable risk factors, according to an analysis of 36 cancer types from 185 countries, published in Nature Medicine. The findings suggest that reducing exposures such as tobacco smoking, certain infections, and alcohol use remains essential for cancer prevention.

Hiroshima University researchers developed a three-factor, 12-item, questionnaire-based scale to systematically assess nursing practices that support fertility preservation decision-making in women with cancer. They show that such decision-making can be clearly defined, measured, and improved.

The two-evening programme on 27-28 January at The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at the SingHealth Duke-NUS campus convened clinicians, students, policymakers and partners to focus on the importance of outbreak preparedness and planetary health.

The University of Osaka study shows that declining clinical tests lead to an underestimation of COVID-19 cases. By analyzing wastewater, researchers found viral loads remained high even as reported cases dropped. This highlights wastewater surveillance as a crucial, objective tool for accurately monitoring community-wide infection levels. The findings advocate for a multi-layered public health approach that is not solely reliant on testing data, ensuring a more realistic assessment of infection risks.

Researchers from The University of Osaka report the development of two fluorescent indicators, Gachapin and Gachapin-C, that can be used to monitor cell–cell contacts and contacts between different processes of the same neuronal cell. Unlike split GFP indicators, the reversible and instant fluorescence from the Gachapin/Gachapin-C chromophore upon contact enables real-time imaging of dynamic contact events.

Sticky life beginnings. Precarious pitcher plant, Breaking the cobalt "cage", Toxic algae killer & “Pure-bred” stem cell medium. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus Asia Research News 2026 is out now and SciCom Coffee talk by Rachael Smith at Wellcome Sanger Institute.

• AI models can support doctors in making critical decisions and expand access to care in low-resource settings • However, gaps in infrastructure, skills and governance continue to limit safe and effective adoption • Researchers call for an international consortium to guide regulation and responsible use of AI in healthcare

A low-cost, portable radiation dosimetry system uses a smartphone and radiochromic film to provide immediate on-site dose assessments of radiation.