Mayo Clinic scientists uncovered how excessive drinking triggers fatty liver disease by disrupting the enzyme VCP, which normally prevents harmful protein buildup on fat droplets in the liver. Alcohol blocks this protective process, allowing fat to accumulate and damage liver cells.
Read moreAlcohol-associated liver disease is becoming a massive health and economic burden, but researchers at UC San Diego may have uncovered a new way forward. They discovered that chronic alcohol use blocks a crucial protein that normally helps keep gut bacteria from leaking into the liver, worsening damage. Restoring this protein’s function, using drugs already in development, could not only reduce liver disease but also have implications for treating alcohol addiction itself.
Read moreUsing laser light instead of traditional mechanics, researchers have built micro-gears that can spin, shift direction, and even power tiny machines. These breakthroughs could soon lead to revolutionary medical tools working at the scale of cells.
Read morePlastic particles from everyday items like Styrofoam cups and take-out containers are finding their way into the brain, where they may trigger Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. New research shows that mice carrying the Alzheimer’s-linked APOE4 gene who consumed microplastics exhibited sex-dependent cognitive decline, mirroring the differences seen in human patients.
Read moreNitazenes, a powerful and largely hidden class of synthetic opioids, are quickly becoming a deadly factor in the overdose crisis. Over 20 times stronger than fentanyl, these drugs often go undetected on routine drug tests, making overdoses harder to diagnose and reverse. Cases from Tennessee reveal a disturbing pattern of fatalities, with nitazenes frequently mixed into counterfeit pills alongside fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Read moreScientists at the University of Geneva have created the first detailed catalogue of gut bacteria at the subspecies level, unlocking powerful new ways to detect colorectal cancer. By applying machine learning to stool samples, they achieved a 90% detection rate—nearly matching colonoscopies, but with far less cost and discomfort. This breakthrough could revolutionize early cancer screening, helping catch the disease before it advances.
Read moreRomaine lettuce has a long history of E. coli outbreaks, but scientists are zeroing in on why. A new study reveals that the way lettuce is irrigated—and how it’s kept cool afterward—can make all the difference. Spraying leaves with untreated surface water is a major risk factor, while switching to drip or furrow irrigation cuts contamination dramatically. Add in better cold storage from harvest to delivery, and the odds of an outbreak plummet. The research offers a clear, science-backed path to safer salads—one that combines smarter farming with better logistics.
Read moreVision researchers have disproved a long-standing theory of how the human vision system processes images, using computational models and human experiments. The findings could have implications for the understanding of human vision and diagnosis of vision anomalies.
Read morePeople who carry around unhealthy amounts of weight don't just have heart disease and diabetes to worry about. Obesity is implicated in two thirds of the leading causes of death from non-communicable diseases worldwide and the risk of certain diseases differs for men and women.
Read moreA multicenter randomized clinical trial evaluating a new artificial pancreas system — which automatically monitors and regulates blood glucose levels — has found that the new system was more effective than existing treatments at controlling blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes.
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