News from Science China Press

Many women experience cognitive fog or memory impairment during pregnancy or while taking oral contraceptives. A new study published in Science Bulletin reveals that sustained high levels of estrogen disturb a specific neural circuit connecting the lateral hypothalamus to the hippocampus, leading to temporary memory loss. This discovery provides a long-sought biological explanation for "mom brain" and reconciles decades of conflicting data on estrogen's effects on memory

A phase 3 randomized controlled trial involving 614 patients with acute ischemic stroke who did not receive reperfusion therapy found that oral edaravone (TTYP01) initiated within 24 hours of symptom onset and continued for 28 days significantly improved functional outcomes. At 90 days, 65.4% of patients in the treatment group achieved excellent functional recovery (mRS 0–1) compared with 47.1% in the placebo group (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.53–2.94, P <0.001). No significant differences in safety events were observed between the two groups.

Parkinson’s disease is expected to cause a substantial economic burden from 2020 to 2040, amounting to 473 billion CNY in constant 2024 prices, which represents 0.017% of projected GDP in China. Utilizing a health-augmented macroeconomic model across 31 provinces, researchers found that disease-induced reductions in physical capital accumulation outweigh labor supply declines in most regions. The findings support tailored prevention and long-term care strategies.

A new review in Medicine Plus traces a century of deep brain stimulation (DBS), explaining how the therapy alters pathological activity from local circuits to whole-brain networks, and mapping targets and clinical evidence across 16 neurological and psychiatric disorders. It also examines adaptive stimulation, directional leads, and biomarker-guided approaches that could make treatment more precise and personalized.

A new review in Medicine Plus outlines a transformative paradigm for luminal cancers using engineered microbe-based micro/nanorobots. Deployed via oral, suppository, or intracavitary routes, these living platforms bypass physiological barriers, colonize tumor niches, continuously synthesize therapeutics, and remodel the tumor microenvironment. Merging microbial adaptability with synthetic biology, they usher in an era of persistent, spatially controlled intervention.

A new review in Medicine Plus traces the evolution of mRNA lipid nanoparticles (mRNA-LNPs) from prophylactic vaccine vehicles to programmable therapeutic platforms. The authors detail clinical and preclinical progress across infectious disease, cancer, autoimmunity, rare genetic disease and tissue repair, while identifying key translational hurdles including extrahepatic targeting, repeat-dose immunogenicity, off-target editing risks, and scalable manufacturing.

Traditional MIC-based antibiotic susceptibility testing often misses sub-resistant bacteria, including persistent, tolerant, and heteroresistant populations, which may contribute to treatment failure and resistance evolution. Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology have developed DP-AST, a deep learning-based microfluidic rapid phenotypic AST platform inspired by the Dujiangyan irrigation system. DP-AST measures MIC, bacterial growth activity, and concentration-effect curves to identify hidden sub-resistant bacteria. The study also identified gadE as a key regulator of amikacin sub-resistance in E. coli, offering new insights for resistance mechanism studies and future clinical diagnostics.Traditional MIC-based antibiotic susceptibility testing often misses sub-resistant bacteria, including persistent, tolerant, and heteroresistant populations, which may contribute to treatment failure and resistance evolution. Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology have developed DP-AST, a deep learning-based microfluidic rapid phenotypic AST platform inspired by the Dujiangyan irrigation system. DP-AST measures MIC, bacterial growth activity, and concentration-effect curves to identify hidden sub-resistant bacteria. The study also identified gadE as a key regulator of amikacin sub-resistance in E. coli, offering new insights for resistance mechanism studies and future clinical diagnostics.Traditional MIC-based antibiotic susceptibility testing often misses sub-resistant bacteria, including persistent, tolerant, and heteroresistant populations, which may contribute to treatment failure and resistance evolution. Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology have developed DP-AST, a deep learning-based microfluidic rapid phenotypic AST platform inspired by the Dujiangyan irrigation system. DP-AST measures MIC, bacterial growth activity, and concentration-effect curves to identify hidden sub-resistant bacteria. The study also identified gadE as a key regulator of amikacin sub-resistance in E. coli, offering new insights for resistance mechanism studies and future clinical diagnostics.