Researchers at Ehime University successfully assessed the risk of DDTs on endocrine disruption in killer whales using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) that avoid animal testing. By in vitro experiments and computer analysis, they found that DDTs activate killer whale estrogen receptor α, potentially disrupting hormone balance. This is concerning because DDTs levels in killer whales are high enough to cause harm. This study highlights the potential of NAMs for assessing chemical risks in wild species.

 A team from Osaka University has developed scSPOT, a new technique that reveals how immune cells called Tregs simultaneously control the immune system. The team identified key immune cells controlled by Tregs and found that Tregs are targets for the cancer drugs ipilimumab and tazemetostat. They also found that Tregs are indicators of serious viral infection. This valuable technique may accelerate the development of treatments for cancer and other diseases.

A research team at Toho University, has revealed that cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, increases the synthesis of hyaluronan in vascular endothelial cells. Their study has also identified that this process is mediated by the induction of hyaluronan synthase 3 (HAS3) expression.

Immunotherapy, which uses programmed immune cells to selectively destroy cancer cells, has transformed cancer treatment. However, cancer cells have developed immune evasion strategies, leading to poor treatment responses. Now, researchers from Japan have identified the transfer of mitochondria with mutated DNA from cancer cells to immune cells as a key mechanism of immune evasion and resistance to immunotherapy. Targeting this transfer could enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.

Triple click chemistry has revolutionized chemical synthesis with its simplicity and efficiency, allowing for the quick and selective assembly of complex molecules. Now, in a recent study, researchers from Japan developed novel trivalent platforms capable of producing highly functional triazoles in straightforward one-pot reactions. These platforms have significant potential in drug development, materials science, and bioengineering, promising advancements in sustainable chemistry and biomedical innovations.

While most animals reproduce sexually, some species rely solely on females for parthenogenetic reproduction. Even in these species, rare males occasionally appear. Whether these males retain reproductive functions is a key question in understanding the evolution of reproductive strategies.

A new study published in Ecology by a research team led by Assistant Professor Tomonari Nozaki from the National Institute for Basic Biology, Professor Kenji Suetsugu from Kobe University, and Associate Professor Shingo Kaneko from Fukushima University provides insight into this question. The researchers focused on the rare males of Ramulus mikado, a stick insect species in Japan, where parthenogenesis is predominant. Their analysis of male reproductive behavior reveals new findings.

AIST researchers, in collaboration with JAMSTEC, Hokkaido University and Tohoku University, have succeeded in cultivating an ultrasmall bacterial strain parasitizing archaea and classified it as new species and genus of Minisyncoccus archaeiphilus.

Inflammatory eye diseases can be challenging to treat, with medications like corticosteroids causing unwanted complications such as glaucoma. However, a study led by researchers from Fujita Health University, Japan, offers hope. The team discovered that local injections of mesenchymal stem cells into periocular tissue can significantly reduce inflammation in conditions such as chronic graft-versus-host disease. These findings offer hope for a safer, more targeted alternative to conventional treatments for ocular inflammatory diseases.

Certain advanced technologies, such as 3D displays, biosensing, and security printing, can utilize circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), which is produced when specific types of molecules are irradiated with UV light. The electric field of the CPL rotates in a spiral shape. Mechanical changes to these molecules, such as grinding, can induce a transition that creates a reversible emission color change. This is called mechanochromic luminescence (MCL). To improve CPL efficiency after grinding, researchers tested two different readily available compounds and how the CPL properties changed upon grinding.