Dobutamine is a well-known drug given intravenously to patients in acute heart failure, where it stimulates the heart to pump more effectively. Over the past decade, however, a growing body of research has reported something surprising: the drug also suppresses the growth of cancer cells in bone tumours (osteosarcoma), stomach cancer, and multiple myeloma. No one could fully explain why. A research team led by Dr. Safa Daoud, from the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan, and co-led by Dr. Mutasem O. Taha from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, noticed a telling pattern in the scientific literature: all the cancers where dobutamine shows activity also tend to produce unusually high levels of a protein called ROCK2 — a molecular switch that, when left unchecked, pushes tumour cells to grow, spread, and resist treatment. The team's central question was whether dobutamine's anticancer effects could be explained, at least in part, by its ability to block ROCK2 directly.

The ERC (European Research Council) Proof of Concept grant awarded to Alexandre Detappe (Gustave Roussy/Institut Strauss/Université Paris-Saclay/Inserm) will fund the Nano-BITE project, which aims to improve the ability of the immune system to fight solid tumors through nanomedicine. The goal is to develop a new generation of immunotherapies that are more targeted, more effective and better tolerated. Alexandre Detappe’s project is among the 182 projects selected across Europe (including 18 in France) to receive ERC Proof of Concept funding, a highly selective and competitive scheme. This recognition highlights the excellence and strong innovation potential of his work.

The development of personalised medicine depends on collaboration between multiple stakeholders, who must navigate uncertainty while shaping expectations of future value. A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland examines how companies take part in this process and what kinds of challenges and opportunities emerge.

A toddler’s activity levels are influenced by genetic differences, with some of the same genetic markers also linked to Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to new research from the University of Surrey. 

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) medications were shown to reduce the number of deaths, amputations and hospitalizations among people with Type 2 diabetes who also had narrowed leg arteries associated with PAD (peripheral artery disease), according to new, independent research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

MIT researchers developed a portable ultrasound system with a user-friendly computer interface, which could be used to diagnose breast cancer earlier.

Researchers analysed more than 1.28 million reported cases of malaria, dengue, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis across the Brazilian Amazon and found that these diseases form distinct regional patterns linked to land use, rural economies and environmental change. The findings suggest that disease risk is shaped not only by insect vectors, but also by broader social and environmental conditions, with implications for public health, land-use planning and disease surveillance.