While the brain orchestrates metabolic processes in the body, it also consumes a disproportionate share of the body’s energy, making it sensitive to metabolic stress. For his work on understanding how the brain adapts to metabolic stress and how such adaptations affect whole-body physiology, Professor Li Ye, the N. Paul Whittier Chair at Scripps Research and an HHMI Investigator, has been named a finalist for the prestigious Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists in the Life Sciences category.

University of Virginia researchers have received the first $4 million tranche of an award worth up to $12 million from the National Institutes of Health to develop a digital model showing how hormonal differences between men and women can impact the effectiveness of some medications. 

BUFFALO, NY — September 16, 2026 — A new research paper was published in Volume 18 of Aging on August 28, 2026, titled “Human-relevant Ptpn6 mutation alters immune and hepatic functions during aging.”

Research shows that cirrhosis developed in 11.4% of patients after liver transplantation. Most cases reflected recurrence of the original liver disease, while de novo cirrhosis was most often associated with chronic rejection or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Patients who developed cirrhosis after transplantation had lower 20-year survival than those who did not, underscoring the importance of lifelong surveillance for fibrosis progression after transplantation.

Neuropathic pain, caused by damage or dysfunction of the nerves, is often difficult to treat because medicines that reduce pain may also cause unwanted effects. Now, researchers have developed humanized antibodies that target Nav1.7, a sodium channel involved in pain signaling. The antibodies produced pain relief lasting at least 96 hours in rat models, without affecting normal pain responses, providing preclinical support for a potential long-acting treatment strategy for neuropathic pain. 

Researchers at City of Hope^®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the country, led the development of a new, investigational blood test that could detect pancreatic cancer at its earliest stages, when the disease is more treatable and potentially curable.

One reason pancreatic cancer remains so deadly is because it’s usually discovered late, after it has spread. A large, international study, published in Nature Medicine today, found that this liquid biopsy, called PANXEON*, was highly sensitive in detecting stage 1 and 2 pancreatic cancer and had a low rate of false positives. The experimental test was also able to identify high-grade dysplasia, a precancerous condition of the pancreas, potentially enabling intervention before cancer develops.

What's the price of climate-driven heat stress on worker producivity? A UC Davis study quantifies the cost.