Hidden architecture inside cellular droplets reveals new targets for cancer and neurodegeneration
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Jun-2026 03:16 ET (22-Jun-2026 07:16 GMT/UTC)
Scripps Research scientists discover that some membrane-less compartments are built from tiny filaments—a finding that could shape drug development.
When removing cancerous tissue in the brain, neurosurgeons often use “awake brain mapping” to minimize the risk of causing unintended disruptions to a patient’s quality of life while removing as much tumor as possible. This practice, which has been used for decades, involves waking a patient up mid-surgery to test their neurocognitive functions in real time by stimulating the brain surface and assessing for functional changes. Now, a study published in the journal Science Advances details a promising, new avenue toward improving awake brain mapping results by investigating the tiny, nearly imperceptible variabilities in patient behavior that occur during the procedure. This work points to a future where brain surgeries are not just safer, but more precisely tailored to protect each patient’s speech, movement and quality of life.
An international consortium of 48 researchers from institutions in France, Sweden, and the United States has won the 2025 edition of the Bial Award in Biomedicine, a €350,000 prize promoted by the Bial Foundation to recognise a published work of exceptional quality and scientific relevance in the field of biomedicine.