Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have created a new self-assessment tool to support new nurses in learning their jobs.

Cancer metastasis, the spread of cancer to organs, is a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Once cancer spreads to multiple organs, conventional treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy become less effective. Scientists at Shinshu University School of Medicine have developed a synthetic mRNA that, when injected, revitalizes the immune system to recognize and attack metastasizing cancer cells. This breakthrough could lead to new therapies to improve survival rates for cancer patients.

Most animals exhibit external left-right (LR)-symmetric appearance and -asymmetric internal organs. A fundamental question in development is when and how the LR-asymmetry is established for the internal organs, keeping the external body plan bilaterally symmetric. Researchers from Kumamoto Univ., Univ. of Miami, and UCSF examined the initiation of LR symmetry breaking during embryonic development, by using chick embryos as a model system.

A research team at Osaka University, Japan has developed a new system to estimate a person’s biological age—a measure of how well their body has aged, rather than just counting the years since birth. Using just five drops of blood, this new method analyzes 22 key steroids and their interactions to provide a more precise health assessment. The team’s breakthrough study, published in Science Advances, offers a potential step forward in personalized health management, allowing for earlier detection of age-related health risks and tailored interventions.

Frequent mutations of SARS-CoV-2 have reduced the effectiveness of vaccines, highlighting the need for mutation-resistant treatments. In a collaborative study, researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan developed CeSPIACE, a peptide inhibitor that blocks the virus from binding to host cell receptors. Unlike some existing treatments, CeSPIACE works against many variants, including those from the original strain to Omicron XBB.1.5. This breakthrough could help prevent and treat COVID-19.

A novel molecular thermometer based on color-changing fluorescent dyes achieves unprecedented sensitivity and resolution when measuring temperatures within living cells, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. These compounds can measure minute temperature variations through changes in their fluorescence wavelength and intensity. This breakthrough could reveal previously undetectable thermal processes in cellular compartments, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of temperature-dependent biological functions and aiding in the development of advanced materials.

Iridium-doped iron-cobalt (Fe-Co-Ir) alloys, previously identified through machine learning, have been shown to have enhanced magnetic properties, surpassing even the widely used pure Fe-Co alloy. However, the origin of this enhanced magnetization is poorly understood. Now, scientists employed an innovative method using high-throughput X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements, demonstrating the critical role of Ir-doping. The findings will serve as a foundation for designing new high-performance magnetic materials.

Most cells in the body send out little messengers called extracellular vesicles that carry proteins, lipids, and other bioactive molecules to other cells, playing an important role in intercellular communication. But healthy cells are not the only ones that rely on extracellular vesicles. Cancer cells do, too. Small extracellular vesicles that are shed from tumor cells contribute to how cancer spreads to healthy tissue.