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.

Macrophages, immune cells often involved in inflammation, are regulated by the body clock (circadian clock). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Now, researchers from Kyushu University have discovered that the circadian clock protein BMAL1 transports the enzyme MFP2 into the cell nucleus, where MFP2 activates inflammatory genes and drives macrophages into a pro-inflammatory state. These findings open new possibilities for treating inflammatory diseases and cancer, potentially through timed drug therapies.

Not all lung cancers with the same common genetic driver respond equally to powerful targeted drugs. Researchers have now discovered why: subtle differences in the 3D shape of the mutated protein. By classifying these shapes, they identified a subtype that poorly binds to latest-generation drugs, explaining worse outcomes. The good news? Starting with a drug-chemo combo likely overcomes this resistance, offering a clear path to personalize first-line treatment.

A new treatment platform developed by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was able to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) of the full-length DMD gene into preclinical models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, successfully restoring the production of an important muscle protein, dystrophin, and dramatically improving muscle strength, endurance and function in vivo.

A research team in Japan has developed an efficient and minimally invasive cancer detection device that uses high-performance zinc oxide nanowires to selectively capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) from bodily fluids. Using this device, researchers successfully captured cancer-related EVs from the blood serum of ovarian cancer patients.