The brain continuously produces metabolic waste that must be removed to maintain healthy function. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a central role in this process by carrying away proteins such as amyloid-β, phosphorylated tau, and α-synuclein, which are linked to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders when they accumulate abnormally.

Scientists have long known that much of this waste ultimately leaves the brain through lymphatic vessels and drains into lymph nodes in the neck. Yet one fundamental question has remained unanswered: How does cerebrospinal fluid cross the arachnoid membrane, a protective barrier separating the brain from the surrounding lymphatic system?

A research team led by Director KOH Gou Young at the Center for Vascular Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), together with collaborators in Korea, Finland, and the United States, has now identified the missing anatomical gateway. The researchers discovered microscopic openings in the arachnoid membrane, which they named “arachnoid fenestrations”, that allow cerebrospinal fluid to pass directly into meningeal lymphatic vessels. The findings reveal the most detailed pathway yet for brain waste clearance and identify a drainage route that progressively deteriorates during aging but can be functionally restored in aged mice.

While more women globally are using medication to have abortions, a University of Maryland-led study out today in JAMA Psychiatry found no evidence that a first medication or procedural abortion caused an increase in mental health medication use. 

A major international review has found "exercise addiction" is real but far rarer than you might think. Researchers warn that dedication to fitness is often mistaken for addiction, which is instead marked by a loss of control—training through injury, illness or at the expense of work and relationships. The message isn’t to exercise less, but to exercise smarter, prioritising recovery, wellbeing and balance over relentless “no days off” culture.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting more than 60 million people worldwide, characterized by painful red patches, scaling, and skin thickening. While existing biological treatments largely focus on calming hyperactive T cells in the skin, complete disease resolution remains challenging. Now, a research team led by scientists at Kumamoto University has uncovered a hidden communication network between the skin and the bone marrow that drives psoriatic inflammation. Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the study highlights a crucial, previously underappreciated role for neutrophils—first-line immune defense cells—and proposes a promising new target for future therapies.

Veterinary antibiotics help protect animal health and support food production, but residues released from farms and aquaculture facilities can enter the environment and contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance. A new study has developed a high-resolution, county-level inventory of veterinary antibiotic emissions across China, offering researchers and policymakers a clearer picture of where these pollutants originate and where they may accumulate.

Texas A&M University researchers have created HemaDyne, a new pump inspired by accordion bellows that can accurately replicate human blood flow patterns in organ-on-a-chip systems, enabling more realistic studies of vascular disease, drug responses and the effects of aging and spaceflight on human health.