Medicine & Healthcare

Researchers are one step closer to finding a common target for treating ALS - a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive muscle weakness.

Echoes of grief, Unexpected mineral, Insulin on edge, Fingerprinting bacteria, Beefing up taste & Power of glass. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice

A team from The University of Osaka found that the intestinal flora works together with the OTUD3 and STING genes to aggravate ulcerative colitis, a disease with no cure that causes major intestinal pain and bloody diarrhea. When the OTUD3 gene is mutated, microbes in the intestinal flora trigger STING signalingOTUD, leading to inflammation in the colon. The intestinal flora and STING signaling may be important new targets for ulcerative colitis treatment.

When fermented with plant-derived bacteria, stevia leaf extract is toxic to pancreatic cancer cells but not to healthy kidney cells

Protein aggregation inhibitor shows lower levels of cell death and paralysis in mice with acute strokes

As the days grow shorter, many animals prepare for the approaching winter by suspending reproduction. Insects, for example, accumulate energy stores while halting ovarian development through a process known as reproductive diapause. In a recent study published in The Journal of Experimental Biology, researchers at The University of Osaka uncovered a key neuroendocrine pathway underlying this seasonal shift in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris, identifying the neuropeptide corazonin as a molecular signal that suppresses reproduction in response to changes in day length.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have identified key genetic mutations linked to extracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), a rare and potentially serious vascular disorder. They have revealed that these mutations activate the RAS/RAF/MEK signaling pathway and that the MAP4K4 gene may drive pathological angiogenesis. This may mean that existing cancer drugs that target the same pathway could be effective for AVM treatment, potentially paving the way for novel therapies.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that a one-time genome editing treatment introducing a gene encoding the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist Exendin-4, marketed as the weight-loss drug Exenatide, results in sustained secretion of the drug, reduced food intake, and enhanced weight loss in mice. This in vivo genome editing approach provides a potential strategy for treating complex diseases without defined genetic causes, such as heart disease and autoimmune disorders, without the need for frequent medication.

This research introduces a soft, injectable material designed for use in the eye to help protect and support damaged retinal tissue. It offers a gentle, biocompatible way to stabilize the inner eye environment and may assist future treatments like cell therapy and drug release.

Lingnan University has delivered its best-ever performance in the latest 2025/26 funding exercise carried out by the Research Grants Council (RGC), covering the General Research Fund (GRF), Early Career Scheme (ECS), and Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS). Forty-nine Lingnan research projects have been supported, a 26 per cent increase from last year’s 39 projects, and the total subsidy has risen by 22 per cent to nearly HKD$30 million, an unprecedented achievement in both the number of grants awarded and total funding.

Comparing picosecond and nanosecond lasers usage with a newly developed index

Findings based on efforts in Sera Town, Japan showed the pneumococcal vaccination support program reversed the previously increasing trend in pneumonia mortality rate in the community.

Barth syndrome is a rare genetic disorder with no known cure. Researchers at Tohoku University examined a new oral drug called MA-5 that could provide life-changing relief to these young patients.

Chinese and Australian scientists have reported the discovery of twenty new bat viruses in research published this week.

Lifesaving deep learning model developed using standard radiographs

A groundbreaking study led by a global research consortium offers new hope for patients with mycetoma, a neglected tropical disease. Researchers using an insect model and transcriptome analysis have unravelled the mechanism of iron regulation between host tissue and the mycetoma grain, a fungal mass characteristic of the disease. This discovery illuminates how the causative fungus invades and develops these protective grains within subcutaneous tissue, paving the way for new drug development and less invasive treatment strategies beyond surgical removal, potentially reducing the burden on patients significantly.

It’s common knowledge that preventing diabetes decreases the chance of mortality. But even within those with “normal” blood glucose levels, is there an optimal number for reducing the risk of other diseases such as heart disease or cancer? A small farming community in the Tohoku region may have provided medical researchers with the clues they have been looking for.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that both inhibitory and activating killer immunoglobulin-like receptors on natural killer (NK) cells were able to bind repetitive interspersed family proteins expressed on the surface of malaria-infected red blood cells. The role of these proteins in triggering both inhibitory and stimulatory responses from NK cells makes them extremely promising targets for the development of therapies and vaccines for malaria.

Stress-responsive gene pushes pancreatic insulin-producing cells toward dysfunction, fueling diabetes

Cyborg jellyfish, 3D collagen, Light, light go away, AI electronic nose, FLASHing cancer, Hydrogen storage in nanoscales & Can I drink this? Read all in the latest Editor's Choice

The study reveals that uneven buildup of amyloid beta between the eyes may cause thinning differences in the retina, appearing early in cognitive decline. This eye-based asymmetry could offer a simple, non-invasive way to detect cognitive frailty at its earliest stages.

Using iPS cells, veterinary medicine has made a step forward in creating a stable MSC supply

A research team from The University of Osaka and Institute of Science Tokyo has developed a groundbreaking class of mRNA medicines that can sense changes in the body and autonomously adjust their therapeutic effect. This innovation paves the way for precision treatments that are not only more effective, but also safer—by producing just the right amount of medicine based on real-time biological signals.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that Oxr1 and Ncoa7 regulate the vacuolar-type proton pump ATPase on the membrane of the Golgi apparatus and trans-Golgi network to maintain their luminal pH. Inhibition of Oxr1 and Ncoa7 function disrupts glycosylation, a key enzymatic process that takes place in these organelles, providing new insight into the mechanisms underlying congenital disorders of glycosylation.

A research team at The University of Osaka has unveiled the molecular mechanism behind genome ejection from adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, a crucial delivery vehicle in gene therapy. The study reveals that the N-terminal region of the VP1 protein, a component of the AAV capsid, undergoes structural changes upon heating, facilitating the release of the therapeutic genetic material. This discovery offers new guidelines for vector design and stability assessment, promising more efficient and safer gene therapies.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University observe and model how the enzyme ADAR1 interacts with double-stranded RNA, which may be useful for future cancer treatment strategies.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that EGR1-expressing CD14+ monocytes and CD8+ T cells with a type II interferon signature are associated with scleroderma renal crisis and interstitial lung disease, respectively, in patients with systemic sclerosis. Understanding the specific immune cell abnormalities underlying different clinical manifestations of the disease could help predict and prevent serious complications.

University of the Philippines – Diliman researchers tested various artificial intelligence prediction models to determine the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli using genetic data and laboratory test results from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database.

A surgeon can excise breast cancer from the body, but even the most skilled scalpel may not be able to remove every cell — especially when the cells have spread from the original disease site elsewhere in the body. This proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells involves many still unknown molecular means, but researchers at Hiroshima University have elucidated at least one mechanism, involving protein receptors that bind to one another. With the discovery, they may have also uncovered how short chains of protein building blocks could serve as a novel anticancer drug.

A new study reveals striking international differences in how doctors approach the sensitive issue of tracheostomy invasive ventilation (TIV) for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Cultural norms and healthcare systems appear to significantly influence physician attitudes and, consequently, patient choices regarding this life-sustaining treatment.