Medical and Health Sciences

Artificial intelligence is now designing custom proteins in seconds—a process that once took years—paving the way for cures to diseases like cancer and antibiotic-resistant infections. Australian scientists have joined this biomedical frontier by creating bacteria-killing proteins with AI. Their new platform, built by a team of biologists and computer scientists, is part of a global movement to democratize and accelerate protein design for medical breakthroughs.

What if your brain is the reason some pain feels unbearable? Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a hidden brain circuit that gives pain its emotional punch—essentially transforming ordinary discomfort into lasting misery. This breakthrough sheds light on why some people suffer more intensely than others from conditions like fibromyalgia, migraines, and PTSD. By identifying the exact group of neurons that link physical pain to emotional suffering, the researchers may have found a new target for treating chronic pain—without relying on addictive medications.

What if humans didn’t have to suffer the slow-burning fire of chronic inflammation as we age? A surprising study on two types of lemurs found no evidence of "inflammaging," a phenomenon long assumed to be universal among primates. These findings suggest that age-related inflammation isn’t inevitable and that environmental factors could play a far bigger role than we thought. By peering into the biology of our primate cousins, researchers are opening up new possibilities for preventing aging-related diseases in humans.

MIT engineers have developed a tiny implantable device that could revolutionize emergency treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes. The device contains a powdered form of glucagon and can be remotely triggered—either manually or automatically by a glucose monitor—to release the hormone when blood sugar drops too low. This offers a potentially life-saving safety net, especially during sleep or for young children.

Scientists at UCSF combined advanced brain-network modeling, genetics, and imaging to reveal how tau protein travels through neural highways and how certain genes either accelerate its toxic journey or shield brain regions from damage. Their extended Network Diffusion Model pinpoints four gene categories that govern vulnerability or resilience, reshaping our view of Alzheimer’s progression and spotlighting fresh therapeutic targets.

People can intuitively sense how biodiverse a forest is just by looking at photos or listening to sounds, and their gut feelings surprisingly line up with what scientists measure.

Creatine isn’t just for gym buffs; Virginia Tech scientists are using focused ultrasound to sneak this vital energy molecule past the blood-brain barrier, hoping to reverse devastating creatine transporter deficiencies. By momentarily opening microscopic gateways, they aim to revive brain growth and function without damaging healthy tissue—an approach that could fast-track from lab benches to lifesaving treatments.

Losing weight isn’t always winning at health, say experts challenging the long-standing obsession with BMI and dieting. New evidence shows that most people with higher body weight can’t sustain long-term weight loss through lifestyle changes—and the pressure to do so may actually cause harm. From disordered eating to reinforced stigma, the consequences go beyond the physical. A growing movement urges doctors to shift away from the scale and toward personalized, compassionate care that values overall well-being, not just shrinking waistlines.

Less than a quarter of us hit WHO activity targets, but a new UCL study suggests the trick may be matching workouts to our personalities: extroverts thrive in high-energy group sports, neurotics prefer private bursts with breaks, and everyone sees stress levels drop when they find exercise they enjoy.

Midlife sleep habits may matter more than previously thought. A large study finds that poor sleep, alongside high blood pressure and nicotine use, sharply increases the risk of heart problems in menopausal women yet only 1 in 5 score well on overall heart health.

Climate change is silently sapping the nutrients from our food. A pioneering study finds that rising CO2 and higher temperatures are not only reshaping how crops grow but are also degrading their nutritional value especially in vital leafy greens like kale and spinach. This shift could spell trouble for global health, particularly in communities already facing nutritional stress. Researchers warn that while crops may grow faster, they may also become less nourishing, with fewer minerals, proteins, and antioxidants raising concerns about obesity, weakened immunity, and chronic diseases.

A new UCL study reveals that aligning workouts with personality boosts fitness and slashes stress—extroverts thrive on HIIT, neurotics favor short, private bursts, and everyone benefits when enjoyment leads the way.

UCLA scientists mined millions of electronic health records and uncovered four distinct “roadways” that funnel people toward Alzheimer’s—ranging from mental-health struggles to vascular troubles. Following these breadcrumb trails proved far better at predicting who will develop dementia than single risk factors. The findings hint that spotting—and halting—specific sequences early could rewrite how we prevent the disease.

Patients who undergo tummy tuck surgery may be in for more than just cosmetic changes — a new study shows they often keep losing weight for years after the procedure. Researchers followed 188 patients and found consistent weight reduction up to five years later, especially in those with higher initial BMIs. Interestingly, lifestyle improvements, such as better diet and exercise habits, may play a key role in this surprising long-term effect. This could mean tummy tucks aren't just sculpting bodies — they may be reshaping lives.

When you're mentally exhausted, your brain might be doing more behind the scenes than you think. In a new study using functional MRI, researchers uncovered two key brain regions that activate when people feel cognitively fatigued—regions that appear to weigh the cost of continuing mental effort versus giving up. Surprisingly, participants needed high financial incentives to push through challenging memory tasks, hinting that motivation can override mental fatigue. These insights may pave the way to treating brain fog in disorders like PTSD and depression using brain imaging and behavior-based therapies.

Feeling jittery as the week kicks off isn’t just a mood—it leaves a biochemical footprint. Researchers tracked thousands of older adults and found those who dread Mondays carry elevated cortisol in their hair for months, a stress echo that may help explain the well-known Monday heart-attack spike. Even retirees aren’t spared, hinting that society’s calendar, not the workplace alone, wires Monday anxiety deep into the HPA axis and, ultimately, cardiovascular risk.

Ambroxol, long used for coughs in Europe, stabilized symptoms and brain-damage markers in Parkinson’s dementia patients over 12 months, whereas placebo patients worsened. Those with high-risk genes even saw cognitive gains, hinting at real disease-modifying power.

Immersing stressed volunteers in a 360° virtual Douglas-fir forest complete with sights, sounds and scents boosted their mood, sharpened short-term memory and deepened their feeling of nature-connectedness—especially when all three senses were engaged. Researchers suggest such multisensory VR “forest baths” could brighten clinics, waiting rooms and dense city spaces, offering a potent mental refresh where real greenery is scarce.

A group of scientists studying pregnancy across six different mammals—from humans to marsupials—uncovered how certain cells at the mother-baby boundary have been working together for over 100 million years. By mapping gene activity in these cells, they found that pregnancy isn’t just a battle between mother and fetus, but often a carefully coordinated partnership. These ancient cell interactions, including hormone production and nutrient sharing, evolved to support longer, more complex pregnancies and may help explain why human pregnancy works the way it does today.

Scientists have pioneered a new way to monitor sodium levels in the blood—without drawing a single drop. By combining terahertz radiation and optoacoustic detection, they created a non-invasive system that tracks sodium in real time, even through skin. The approach bypasses traditional barriers like water interference and opens up potential for fast, safe diagnostics in humans.

Scientists at the University of Sydney have uncovered a malfunctioning version of the SOD1 protein that clumps inside brain cells and fuels Parkinson’s disease. In mouse models, restoring the protein’s function with a targeted copper supplement dramatically rescued movement, hinting at a future therapy that could slow or halt the disease in people.

These findings highlight the significance of rearing behavior and behavioral lateralization as potential behavioral markers for tracking the progression of Parkinson's disease.

People who treat hearing loss with hearing aids or cochlear implants regain rich conversations, escape isolation, and may even protect their brains and lifespans—proof that better hearing translates into fuller living.

In the frozen reaches of the planet—glaciers, mountaintops, and icy groundwater—scientists have uncovered strange light-sensitive molecules in tiny microbes. These “cryorhodopsins” can respond to light in ways that might let researchers turn brain cells on and off like switches. Some even glow blue, a rare and useful trait for medical applications. These molecules may help the microbes sense dangerous UV light in extreme environments, and scientists believe they could one day power new brain tech, like light-based hearing aids or next-level neuroscience tools—all thanks to proteins that thrive in the cold and shimmer under light.

Mice taught to link smells with tastes, and later fear, revealed how the amygdala teams up with cortical regions to let the brain draw powerful indirect connections. Disabling this circuit erased the links, hinting that similar pathways in humans could underlie disorders like PTSD and psychosis, and might be tuned with future brain-modulation therapies.

Smarter people don’t just crunch numbers better—they actually see the future more clearly. Examining thousands of over-50s, Bath researchers found the brightest minds made life-expectancy forecasts more than twice as accurate as those with the lowest IQs. By tying cognitive tests and genetic markers to real-world predictions, the study shows how sharp probability skills translate into wiser decisions about everything from crossing the road to planning retirement—and hints that clearer risk information could help everyone close the gap.

Researchers from Sweden have discovered that the human brain continues to grow new cells in the memory region—called the hippocampus—even into old age. Using advanced tools to examine brain samples from people of all ages, the team identified the early-stage cells that eventually become neurons. These findings confirm that our brains remain more adaptable than previously believed, opening the door to potential treatments for memory loss and brain-related disorders.

Scientists have discovered that starving and then refeeding worms can reveal surprising secrets about aging. When a specific gene (called TFEB) is missing, these worms don’t bounce back from fasting—they instead enter a state that looks a lot like aging in humans, with signs of stress and cell damage. This research gives scientists a simple but powerful way to study how aging begins—and how it might be stopped. Even more intriguing, the same process might help explain how some cancer cells survive treatment by going into a kind of sleep mode.

A promising path to fighting COVID and other coronaviruses may have been based on a serious mistake. Scientists had zeroed in on a part of the virus called the NiRAN domain, believed to be a powerful target for new antiviral drugs. But when a Rockefeller team revisited a highly cited 2022 study, they found the evidence didn’t hold up. Key molecules shown in the original virus model were actually missing. Their discovery could help prevent wasted time and resources in the race to develop better treatments—and highlights how even one bad blueprint can throw off years of research.

Scientists have discovered that the bacteria behind Lyme disease and anaplasmosis have a sneaky way of surviving inside ticks—they hijack the tick’s own cell functions to steal cholesterol they need to grow. By tapping into a built-in protein pathway, the bacteria keep themselves alive until they can infect a new host. The research opens the door to new methods of stopping these diseases before ticks ever get the chance to bite. A new web tool also reveals that this trick might be used by other blood-feeding bugs too.

Stanford researchers discovered that dialing down an overactive enzyme, LRRK2, can regrow lost cellular “antennae” in key brain cells, restoring vital dopamine communication and neuroprotective signals in a mouse model of genetic Parkinson’s. After three months on the LRRK2-blocking drug MLi-2, damaged circuits revived and early signs of neuronal recovery emerged, hinting that timely treatment could not only halt but reverse disease progression—and perhaps benefit other Parkinson’s forms.

An advanced Johns Hopkins AI model called MAARS combs through underused heart MRI scans and complete medical records to spot hidden scar patterns that signal sudden cardiac death, dramatically outperforming current dice-roll clinical guidelines and promising to save lives while sparing patients unnecessary defibrillators.

Breathing polluted air—even at levels considered “safe”—may quietly damage your heart. A new study using advanced MRI scans found that people exposed to more air pollution showed early signs of scarring in their heart muscle, which can lead to heart failure over time. This damage showed up in both healthy individuals and people with heart conditions, and was especially noticeable in women, smokers, and those with high blood pressure.

A compound best known for giving almonds and apricots their aroma may be the key to defeating hard-to-kill cancer cells. Japanese researchers found that benzaldehyde can stop the shape-shifting ability of aggressive cancer cells, which lets them dodge treatments and spread. By targeting a specific protein interaction essential for cancer survival—without harming normal cells—benzaldehyde and its derivatives could form the basis of powerful new therapies, especially when combined with existing radiation or targeted treatments.

Anger isn’t just a fleeting emotion—it plays a deeper role in women’s mental and physical health during midlife. A groundbreaking study tracking over 500 women aged 35 to 55 reveals that anger traits like outbursts and hostility tend to diminish with age and menopause progression. This shift could signal enhanced emotional regulation during and after the reproductive transition. Surprisingly, the only form of anger that remained steady was suppressed anger.

In a leap toward sustainable desalination, researchers have created a solar-powered sponge-like aerogel that turns seawater into drinkable water using just sunlight and a plastic cover. Unlike previous materials, this new 3D-printed aerogel maintains its efficiency at larger sizes, solving a key scalability issue. In outdoor tests, it produced clean water directly from the ocean without any electricity, pointing to a future of low-cost, energy-free freshwater production.

Scientists at UC Davis discovered a small genetic difference that could explain why humans are more prone to certain cancers than our primate cousins. The change affects a protein used by immune cells to kill tumors—except in humans, it’s vulnerable to being shut down by an enzyme that tumors release. This flaw may be one reason treatments like CAR-T don’t work as well on solid tumors. The surprising twist? That mutation might have helped our brains grow larger over time. Now, researchers are exploring ways to block the enzyme and give our immune system its power back.

A cutting-edge gene therapy has significantly restored hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness, showing dramatic results just one month after a single injection. Researchers used a virus to deliver a healthy copy of the OTOF gene into the inner ear, improving auditory function across all ten participants in the study. The therapy worked best in young children but still benefited adults, with one 7-year-old girl regaining almost full hearing. Even more exciting: this is just the start, as scientists now aim to target other genes that cause more common forms of deafness.

A new brain scan tool shows how quickly your body and mind are aging. It can spot early signs of diseases like dementia, long before symptoms begin. The scan looks at hidden clues in your brain to predict future health.

Locked-down Hungarians who gained or lost pets saw almost no lasting shift in mood or loneliness, and new dog owners actually felt less calm and satisfied over time—hinting that the storied “pet effect” may be more myth than mental-health remedy even in extreme isolation.

Cambridge scientists have spotted gut bacteria that greedily soak up PFAS “forever chemicals,” then ferry them safely out of the body in animal tests, removing up to three-quarters of the toxins within minutes. Their findings hint at probiotic pills that could shield people from PFAS-linked cancers, fertility issues, and heart disease while lawmakers scramble to rein in 4,700 widespread compounds.

Researchers testing urine from 2- to 4-year-olds in four U.S. states uncovered 96 different chemicals, many of them unmonitored and linked to hormone and brain disruption. Legacy toxins like triclosan are slowly declining, yet replacements such as DINCH plasticizer and modern pesticides are rising. Toddlers—especially the youngest, later-born, and those from minority groups—often carried higher levels than their own mothers. Scientists urge expanded biomonitoring and stricter regulations before these invisible pollutants derail early development.

Illinois engineers fused ultrafast imaging with smart algorithms to peek at living brain chemistry, turning routine MRIs into metabolic microscopes. The system distinguishes healthy regions, grades tumors, and forecasts MS flare-ups long before structural MRI can. Precision-medicine neurology just moved closer to reality.

Teen vaping is changing fast — and not in a good way. A large national study found that more adolescents are vaping THC, CBD, and especially synthetic cannabinoids, which are often unregulated and far more dangerous. Even more troubling, many teens don’t know what’s in their vape pens at all. Researchers also found that girls are now more likely than boys to vape these substances. As these mysterious and risky chemicals gain popularity, scientists are sounding the alarm about the urgent need for better education, regulation, and awareness.

Researchers reviewing nearly 300 top-tier ADHD drug trials found that half skipped the rigorous, expert-led evaluations needed to rule out other conditions like depression or schizophrenia. With diagnoses often made by unqualified staff—or even by computer—many participants may not have actually had ADHD, casting doubt on study outcomes that shape treatment guidelines.

A sweeping review of more than a century’s research upends the popular notion that left-handers are naturally more creative. Cornell psychologist Daniel Casasanto’s team sifted nearly a thousand studies, ultimately finding no consistent advantage for lefties on standard divergent-thinking tests—and even a slight edge for right-handers in some. The myth appears to thrive on coincidence: left-handedness is rare and so is creative genius, plus lefties’ overrepresentation in art and music gets cherry-picked while other professions are ignored.

Over a thousand students revealed a striking link between lactose intolerance and nightmare-filled nights, hinting that midnight stomach turmoil from dairy can invade dreams. Researchers suggest simple diet tweaks especially ditching late-night cheese could turn scary sleep into sweet rest, though more experiments are needed to decode the gut-dream connection.

Scientists have achieved an unprecedented look into how the human immune system attacks a transplanted pig kidney, using spatial molecular imaging to map immune activity down to the cellular level. They discovered early signs of rejection within 10 days and pinpointed key immune players—like macrophages—driving the response. Even more exciting: when targeted therapies were applied, the immune assault weakened. As U.S. clinical trials of pig kidney transplants begin, this breakthrough offers hope for overcoming the immune barrier that has long stood in the way of xenotransplantation.

Scientists have discovered a stealthy mechanism that cytomegalovirus (CMV)—the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the U.S.—uses to infiltrate blood vessel cells while evading immune detection. The virus forms a hidden protein complex that acts like a molecular “backdoor,” allowing it to bypass the immune system’s defenses. This newly identified pathway may explain why vaccine efforts have failed for decades and opens the door to targeted therapies that could finally prevent CMV-linked birth defects in newborns and protect vulnerable patients.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising sugar-related mechanism inside brain cells that could transform how we fight Alzheimer’s and other dementias. It turns out neurons don’t just store sugar for fuel—they reroute it to power antioxidant defenses, but only if an enzyme called GlyP is active. When this sugar-clearing system is blocked, toxic tau protein builds up and accelerates brain degeneration.

An AI system called iSeg is reshaping radiation oncology by automatically outlining lung tumors in 3D as they shift with each breath. Trained on scans from nine hospitals, the tool matched expert clinicians, flagged cancer zones some missed, and could speed up treatment planning while reducing deadly oversights.

Leprosy’s tale stretches from 5,000-year-old skeletons in Eurasia to a startling 4,000-year-old case in Chile, revealing that the rare strain Mycobacterium lepromatosis haunted the Americas millennia before Europeans arrived. Armed with cutting-edge ancient-DNA sleuthing, scientists have pieced together remarkably well-preserved genomes that challenge the idea of leprosy as purely a colonial import and hint that the disease may have homegrown American roots awaiting confirmation by future finds.

Researchers at UT Arlington have discovered a key enzyme, IDO1, that when blocked, helps immune cells regain their ability to properly process cholesterol—something that breaks down during inflammation. This breakthrough could offer a powerful new way to fight heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. By "turning off" this enzyme, the team restored cholesterol absorption in macrophages, potentially stopping disease at the source. Even more promising, they found a second enzyme, NOS, that makes things worse—raising hopes that targeting both could pave the way for transformative treatments for millions suffering from inflammation-driven conditions.

Smoke from wildfires and structural fires doesn t just irritate lungs it actually changes your immune system. Harvard scientists found that even healthy people exposed to smoke showed signs of immune system activation, genetic changes tied to allergies, and even toxic metals inside their immune cells.

Deleting a gene called PTEN in certain brain cells disrupts the brain’s fear circuitry and triggers anxiety-like behavior in mice — key traits seen in autism. Researchers mapped how this genetic tweak throws off the brain's delicate balance of excitation and inhibition in the amygdala, offering deep insights into how one gene can drive specific ASD symptoms.

Researchers are using an advanced brain imaging method called MEG to understand why Parkinson’s drug levodopa doesn’t work equally well for everyone. By mapping patients’ brain signals before and after taking the drug, they discovered that it sometimes activates the wrong brain regions, dampening its helpful effects. This breakthrough could pave the way for personalized treatment strategies, ensuring patients receive medications that target the right areas of their brain more effectively.

USC researchers have found a promising new brain scan marker that could better detect Alzheimer’s risk — but only for some. The tau-based benchmark works in Hispanic and White populations when paired with another Alzheimer’s protein, amyloid, but falls short for Black participants, revealing critical gaps in current diagnostics.

A groundbreaking study from the University of Auckland and Chalmers University of Technology is offering new hope for spinal cord injury patients. Researchers have developed an ultra-thin implant that delivers gentle electric currents directly to the injured spinal cord. This device mimics natural developmental signals to stimulate nerve healing, and in animal trials, it restored movement and touch sensation in rats—without causing inflammation or damage.

A team of researchers has turned ordinary yeast into tiny, glowing drug factories, creating and testing billions of peptide-based compounds in record time. This green-tech breakthrough could fast-track safer, more precise medicines and reshape the future of pharma.

Teens are being misled by cannabis edibles dressed up like health foods. Bright colors, fruit imagery, and words like vegan make these products look fun, natural, and safe even when they re not. A WSU study warns that this could increase the risk of underage use and urges new packaging rules based on what actually appeals to teens.