Summary

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a genetic autoinflammatory disorder that causes recurrent fevers and painful inflammation of the abdomen, chest, and joints. The disease is caused by mutations in MEFV, the gene that encodes a protein called pyrin. Yet for nearly three decades, the key step that allows pyrin to activate the inflammatory switch has remained a mystery.

Two new companion studies published in Science Immunology by researchers at Kyoto University and their collaborators now shed light on this long-standing question. Approaching the question from opposite directions—one starting from a small group of patients with severe unexplained inflammation, the other from a systematic functional analysis of 265 mutations in MEFV drawn from genomic databases—the studies converge on the same molecular mechanism. They reveal that a lock-and-key interaction between pyrin and a small cellular regulator called CDC42 acts as the switch that ignites inflammation.

These findings clarify the missing step in pyrin activation and open the way to more accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment for patients living with diseases driven by dysregulated pyrin activity.

The two studies will be published in Science Immunology at 14:00 ET on August 7, 2026 (03:00 JST on August 8, 2026).

ARDD 2026 has announced that Thomas Marron, AVP, Emerging Innovation and Strategic Growth at Eli Lilly, will speak at the 13th Aging Research & Drug Discovery (ARDD) Meeting, taking place October 1–3, 2026, at the David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University. As the world's leading conference dedicated to longevity biotechnology, ARDD 2026 will convene top researchers, pharmaceutical executives, entrepreneurs, and investors to accelerate the translation of aging science into next-generation medicines.

Organized by Insilico Medicine and supported by industry leaders including Eli Lilly and the McKinsey Health Institute, the meeting reflects the growing momentum behind longevity as a major frontier in biomedical innovation. With speakers representing ten of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, ARDD 2026 aims to foster the collaborations needed to transform discoveries in aging biology into therapies that extend healthy lifespan and improve patient outcomes.

ARDD 2026 has announced that Kevin Duffin, VP, Aging Research at Eli Lilly, will speak at the 13th Aging Research & Drug Discovery (ARDD) Meeting, taking place October 1–3, 2026, at the David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University. As the world's leading conference dedicated to longevity biotechnology, ARDD 2026 will convene top researchers, pharmaceutical executives, entrepreneurs, and investors to accelerate the translation of aging science into next-generation medicines.

Organized by Insilico Medicine and supported by industry leaders including Eli Lilly and the McKinsey Health Institute, the meeting reflects the growing momentum behind longevity as a major frontier in biomedical innovation. With speakers representing ten of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, ARDD 2026 aims to foster the collaborations needed to transform discoveries in aging biology into therapies that extend healthy lifespan and improve patient outcomes.

ARDD 2026 has announced that Ruth Gimeno, VP Diabetes, Obesity & Cardiometabolic Research and Early Clinical Development at Eli Lilly, will speak at the 13th Aging Research & Drug Discovery (ARDD) Meeting, taking place October 1–3, 2026, at the David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University. As the world's leading conference dedicated to longevity biotechnology, ARDD 2026 will convene top researchers, pharmaceutical executives, entrepreneurs, and investors to accelerate the translation of aging science into next-generation medicines.

Organized by Insilico Medicine and supported by industry leaders including Eli Lilly and the McKinsey Health Institute, the meeting reflects the growing momentum behind longevity as a major frontier in biomedical innovation. With speakers representing ten of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, ARDD 2026 aims to foster the collaborations needed to transform discoveries in aging biology into therapies that extend healthy lifespan and improve patient outcomes.

A new study led by an Iowa State University evolutionary biologist suggests an antenna-like cellular sensor that’s a growing focus in human health could play a central role in how turtles become male or female, which in most species is based on incubation temperature.