Rifampicin resistant tuberculosis is a major global health crisis. A new study shows that the most common rifampicin resistance mutation in tuberculosis rewires bacterial gene regulation in a way that creates specific metabolic vulnerabilities. The findings could guide the development of combination therapies designed not only to kill drug resistant tuberculosis, but to suppress drug resistance itself.

A combination of two widely available anti-rheumatic drugs offers the first effective and affordable treatment for patients with Sjögren’s disease with systemic disease activity, according to new results from a clinical trial that was coordinated by UMC Utrecht. The study showed that treatment with leflunomide and hydroxychloroquine reduced disease activity in patients with moderate-to-severe disease, while maintaining a favorable safety profile.

Using bibliometric analysis of more than 1,000 articles published between 2014 and 2024, a new study charts the first decade of the Journal of Big Data and its emergence as a leading global data science publication. The journal has surpassed 1,000 papers and nearly 65,000 citations. Researchers identified three core themes – big data infrastructure, machine and deep learning, and applications such as cybersecurity, healthcare analytics, and sentiment analysis – while highlighting the journal’s growing international reach and influence on data science and AI research.

While multidrug-resistant Candida auris poses a global threat to public health, the impact and mechanism of drug resistance on fungal virulence remain unclear. This study reveals that fluconazole-resistant C. auris exhibits enhanced fitness and resistance to macrophage killing under zinc deficiency by mobilizing intracellular zinc. The inhibition of gene encoding Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factor 4 (ZCF4) contributes to C. auris resistance to macrophage killing by suppressing the PI3K-AKT- mTOR pathway and downstream matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity. Dietary zinc deficiency promotes the virulence of fluconazole-resistant C. auris. This research provides a mechanistic understanding of host-fungal interactions and highlights zinc intervention as a potential nutrient intervention strategy against fungal infection.

A study by researchers at West Virginia University and two other university-affiliated medical centers found a greater-than-expected significance in the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, for women who spend more time sitting compared to those who include even light activity in their daily routines.

Games, shopping, social media, pornography: The Internet offers many temptations. While most people use the Internet in moderation, some develop addictive behaviors. A multicenter study with over 1,000 participants with and without problematic Internet use found that all participant groups showed a tendency to approach internet-related cues. However, this automatic and unconscious pull was significantly stronger among individuals with problematic Internet use. “This indicates that certain training programs can be developed to help affected individuals distance themselves from such stimuli,” says Professor Martin Diers of the Ruhr University Bochum Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Germany. The study was published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions on May 12, 2026.