Scientists have developed a simple yet powerful strategy to overcome a long-standing challenge in cancer phototheranostics—the trade-off between imaging brightness, therapeutic efficacy, and biological stability. By systematically replacing hydrogen atoms with deuterium (a heavier isotope) in a near-infrared fluorescent molecule, researchers achieved simultaneous improvements in all three critical properties. The optimized nanoparticles delivered 26% higher fluorescence brightness, 14% more reactive oxygen species for killing cancer cells, and 20% better stability in blood. In mouse models, a single treatment completely eliminated breast tumors, and fluorescence-guided surgery enabled precise removal of colorectal cancer remnants that were invisible under white light—extending survival from under 20 days to over 60 days. The strategy is broadly applicable and does not require redesigning the molecular backbone, offering a versatile platform for next-generation cancer theranostics.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy complication characterized by hypertension and multi-organ dysfunction after 20 weeks of gestation, posing significant risks to both mothers and infants. Early identification of women at high risk enables timely preventive interventions, yet established screening protocols, such as the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) clinical model, exhibit moderate sensitivity during the first trimester. Since routine laboratory tests reflect early metabolic and inflammatory changes associated with disease development, they may provide an accessible and cost-effective strategy for improving PE prediction.   

In the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Prof. Jinyou Shao at Xi'an Jiaotong University and his co-workers have resolved the challenge of maintaining electrical reliability under repeated bending by bonding a sturdy copper base directly beneath a reservoir of liquid metal alloy. The pairing functions like an autonomous, self-repairing highway: as bending tears microscopic cracks into the solid copper floor, the liquid alloy overhead immediately flows into the fractures to preserve electrical flow, while the rigid copper foundation bears external pressure so the circuit never chokes under compression.

Is it harmful to your health to lose weight repeatedly and then gain it back again? In a recent article in ‘Nature Reviews Endocrinology’, DZD researchers Prof. Norbert Stefan and Prof. Faidon Magkos of the University of Copenhagen offer a sophisticated assessment: The deciding factor could be the starting weight. While they appear to be less problematic in people with obesity than is often assumed, weight fluctuations could increase the risk of developing obesity in the long term among people of normal weight.

ETH Zurich researchers have discovered how cells seamlessly fuse the protective envelope of their nucleus to assemble nuclear pore complexes. Specific proteins are essential for the two membranes of the nuclear envelope to fuse; if fusion fails, nuclear pore complex assembly stalls. The findings shed light on how the rare hereditary disease DYT1 dystonia develops and point to a potential new therapeutic approach. 

Scientists receive a four-year, $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue their study of how Zika virus damages the developing eye and to identify drug-based strategies that could protect babies’ vision.