Researchers led by the University of Osaka analyzed lymphatic malformations from 34 patients and found shared molecular features regardless of whether PIK3CA mutations were detected. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was activated in malformed lymphatic vessels, while spatial transcriptomics highlighted NFATC1, associated with the calcineurin-NFAT pathway, as a possible contributor to the disease pathogenesis. The findings deepen the understanding of lymphatic malformations and may help refine existing treatments and identify new therapeutic targets.

A new study suggests that therapeutic food made from locally available crops such as chickpeas, sorghum, maize and soybeans could help make malnutrition treatment more affordable and accessible in regions where it is needed most. By reducing reliance on costly imported dairy ingredients, the plant-based formulation could support local production, strengthen agricultural supply chains and help close the global treatment gap. The researchers say the approach could offer a more sustainable model for expanding access to lifesaving nutrition care.

A paper published in National Science Review brings together evidence on how plastics are produced, released, transported and transformed, and how they affect ecosystems, human health and Earth-system processes. It argues that lasting solutions must address the full plastics life cycle, with upstream prevention and safer design supported by reuse, recycling, pollution control, monitoring, and coordinated global governance.

A team led by researchers at Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute reports that combining targeted KRAS inhibition with CTLA-4 immune checkpoint blockade overcomes the immunosuppressive microenvironment that renders KRAS-mutant gastric adenocarcinoma resistant to PD-1 immunotherapy. In a genetically faithful, immunocompetent mouse model of KRAS^G12D-driven gastric cancer, the combination suppressed TGF-beta signaling, impaired regulatory T cell function and elicited effective anti-tumor immunity. The study, published in Science China Life Sciences, provides a preclinical rationale for CTLA-4-based combination immunotherapy in this molecularly defined subset of patients.