Health

A detailed cellular study of Crohn's disease has mapped how gene activity changes across more than 50 cell types in the gut. The study provides an open resource of the genes that characterize each cell type and those whose activity shifts in disease, uncovering new molecular and cellular signatures of immune activity in the gut lining.

Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) detection in wastewater offers a novel approach to monitor the virus in communities. Baylor College of Medicine researchers and colleagues at collaborating institutions report in Nature Communications that their method, called hybrid-capture genetic sequencing, allows them to analyze viral genomes in detail and specifically identify viral signals coming from community wastewater.

Dual-target CAR T-cell therapy for recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), delivered directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), triggers a broad immune response, with natural killer (NK) cell activation linked to better patient outcomes and longer overall survival. CSF of individuals who did not respond to the therapy exhibited a higher proportion of activated regulatory T cells (Tregs) and high baseline levels of immunosuppressive scavenger myeloid cells, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, published in Cell.

A new study is the first to investigate the effects of prebiotic xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) on fatty liver in humans. The findings suggest the fiber supplement may reduce harmful metabolic byproducts in the gut and thereby improve liver health. Importantly, the composition of the gut microbiota before supplementation influences the benefits observed. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland and is published in npj Gut and Liver.

A new study demonstrates that a person with severe paralysis caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can use a brain-computer interface (BCI) at home to communicate, work and interact with the digital world—without the need for researcher support. Published in Nature Medicine, the results mark a significant step toward delivering practical assistive technology for people with severe speech and motor impairments.

Tirzepatide doesn't just help people lose weight; it also activates brown adipose tissue, representing a major milestone in obesity research, according to a study presented at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago.

Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a new stain-free imaging platform designed to analyze tissue samples more quickly and consistently, supporting future AI-assisted cancer diagnostics.

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil have discovered a new strategy that may protect neurons and other brain cells involved in Parkinson's disease in the future. The results of the study, which was conducted in mice, were published in the journal Neuropharmacology.

Researchers from Amsterdam UMC, in collaboration with other hospitals, have successfully completed the first Phase III study of an in vivo CRISPR therapy. In this large-scale, double-blind trial, 80 patients with hereditary angioedema were randomized to receive either the CRISPR therapy or a placebo. CRISPR therapy is a medical technique that allows doctors to precisely modify errors in cellular DNA to treat specific hereditary diseases.

Monash University researchers have found in laboratory experiments that a drug that delivers copper to the brain significantly reduces toxic Alzheimer's proteins and improves long-term spatial memory.

UC San Francisco researchers have developed a new form of deep brain stimulation (DBS) that adjusts in real time as a person walks, helping improve gait and reduce falls in people with Parkinson's disease.

Women who view TikTok videos of others comfortable with their gray hair and laugh lines start to feel more positive about their own aging the more they watch, a new UConn study has found, potentially influencing a woman's ability to age well later in life.

A new study from scientists at the University of Rochester Medicine suggests that reinforcing the body's natural daily rhythms to improve sleep could help the brain recover after a stroke, pointing to a potential new strategy to improve brain waste clearance and outcomes long after the initial injury.

People who live together share more oral and gut microbes with each other than with other people in their communities, according to a study published in Cell Press Blue. This was true regardless of the cohabitants' relationships—siblings, parents and offspring all shared similar numbers of microbial strains, and romantic partners shared even more oral, but not gut, microbes with each other, likely due to kissing.

GLP-1s do not harm male hormones or fertility after long-term use, according to a study being presented Monday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago. In fact, the research team found GLP-1s may improve testosterone levels and sperm quality in men with obesity-related low testosterone, while also addressing the underlying effects of obesity.