The dangers of heat and humidity are so well known it’s become cliche to mention them. But the impacts can extend farther than even scientists and doctors realized.

Researchers at ETH Zurich recently explained the role of a molecular complex that orchestrates production of proteins in our cells. They now show that this complex also controls the processing of proteins that compact DNA. These new insights could form the basis for new approaches in cancer treatment, but they also critically extend the current understanding of protein biosynthesis. 

Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz have discovered that while brain neuron changes, including cell loss, may begin in early life, a drug long-approved for other conditions might be repurposed to slow this damage, offering new hope for those with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other cognition issues.

A team of researchers from INRAE, CNRS, and the University of Lille studied how low dietary doses of nanoplastics affected mice. More specifically, mice received one of three doses in their drinking water while consuming either a standard or a "Western-style" diet (high fat + high sugar). Recently published in Environmental Science: Nano, the study’s results show that exposure to low doses of nanoplastics can alter gut barrier integrity, gut microbiota composition, and liver function. These effects were strongly influenced by diet type. 

Australian researchers have discovered that the TAK1 gene helps cancer cells survive attack from the immune system, revealing a mechanism that may limit the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments.

Black patients and patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are dramatically under-represented in genetics clinics—often at rates half or less than those of White patients or individuals from wealthier areas—according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts General Hospital. But once patients were evaluated for genetic testing, the disparities reversed: Black patients were more likely to have genetic testing ordered, and patients from lower-income neighborhoods were more likely to get a definitive, actionable result that can guide treatment and improve outcomes. The study was published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.