Collagen, the protein that builds skin, bones, tendons and organs, exists inside cells as a liquid-like droplet rather than the long, rigid rod seen in textbooks over the last half century, according to a new study from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona.

The gut does much more than just digest food. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered a surprising link between gut function, feeding, and sleep in fruit flies. Their study adds to growing evidence that the gut communicates with the brain and can influence behavior.

Sjögren’s disease is a widespread chronic autoimmune disorder that attacks the body’s own glands, yet its underlying disease mechanisms remain poorly understood. In a recent study, researchers from Japan discovered a self-reinforcing loop between different immune cells that sustains autoimmune responses in patients with Sjögren’s disease. Their findings pave the way for safer and more effective therapies.

A study by researchers from the Department of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University, and Medical School of Nanjing University suggests that antibiotic residue-related exposure may impair spermatogenesis by disturbing mitochondrial function. The researchers further found that DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, may help protect spermatocytes by restoring ER–mitochondria communication and reducing oxidative stress.

Extracellular vesicle-encapsulated miRNAs (EV-miRNAs) serve as a precise intercellular communication system with organ tropism, delivering functional RNA molecules to distant targets. A new review systematically maps their dual roles in immune regulation—shaping either host defense or immune evasion depending on context—ranging from pathogen infection and antitumor immunity to inflammation and tissue homeostasis. The article also addresses current challenges and future directions for clinical translation of EV-miRNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication of joint replacement surgery. A new study in the Journal of Sport and Health Science discovers that musclin, a hormone released by muscles during exercise, directly binds to macrophages. This interaction rewires cellular metabolism, significantly boosting the macrophages' ability to clear dead cells (efferocytosis). This process effectively resolves inflammation, reduces bacterial burden, and promotes tissue repair, offering a promising "exercise-mimetic" therapeutic strategy for managing implant-associated infections.

The first published live observations of the rare goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) in its natural deep ocean habitat were reported in a new paper by a University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa-led team of oceanographers. In the past, goblin sharks were only filmed and reported alive after being hooked on a fishing line and hauled to the surface, where divers could observe them and where they soon died. The new study, published in Journal of Fish Biology, documents two live observations of one of the most elusive but iconic sharks on the planet—one at a seamount near Jarvis Island and another on the slope of the Tonga Trench.