Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, low propensity to induce bacterial resistance, and multifunctional properties including immunomodulation and tissue regeneration promotion.This study comprehensively reviews the classification, antimicrobial mechanisms, and therapeutic applications of AMPs in major oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontitis, oral cancer, oral candidiasis, and oral mucositis. The research also analyzes key challenges in clinical translation (stability, cytotoxicity, immunogenicity, production costs) and corresponding solutions, while exploring their applications in implant coatings, oral dressings, combination therapy, and diagnostic markers, providing a robust theoretical basis for advancing oral disease treatment.

A discovery from Australian researchers could lead to better treatment for children with neuroblastoma, a cancer that currently claims 9 out of 10 young patients who experience recurrence. The team at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney found a drug combination that can bypass the cellular defences these tumours develop that lead to relapse.

Discover how St. Jude research uncovered an unknown cell death pathway triggered by innate immune activation and nutrient scarcity that may help treat cancer.

Some blood pressure medications can make the skin extra prone to sunburn. A registry study from Lund University in Sweden shows a possible increased risk of basal cell carcinoma with certain blood pressure medications. The risk increase is relatively low—at most nine percent. “Blood pressure treatment should not be discontinued. But it’s good if doctors inform patients that extra sun protection may be needed,” says researcher Johan Kappelin.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with NUP98 fusions (NUP98-r) is an aggressive form of blood cancer. It is caused by a chromosomal rearrangement that abnormally fuses the NUP98 gene with other genes, resulting in the formation of NUP98 fusion oncoproteins. Until now, there have been no therapeutic strategies to directly inactivate NUP98 fusion oncoproteins. Researchers from the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine, the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and the St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute have achieved a breakthrough: they identified the protein SPOP as a direct regulator of the stability of NUP98 fusion oncoproteins, providing a potential target for new therapies. The study was published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell Reports (DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116602).

A bold plan to supercharge immune cell ‘spies’ to better seek out and kill cancer cells has received a $17 million funding boost from the Australian Government.