Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major modifiable driver of ASCVD, and PCSK9 has become an important therapeutic target because it regulates hepatic LDL receptor recycling and circulating LDL-C levels. Although PCSK9-targeting monoclonal antibodies and siRNA therapies can substantially lower LDL-C, their cost and need for repeated administration have motivated efforts to develop longer-lasting and more accessible approaches.

How does a stripy tree snail hide from hungry birds? The Hypselostyla camelopardalis from the Philippines and Reinia variegata from Japan have both evolved a form of dynamic camouflage to survive. Their light-colored patterns vanish in the rain and the shell turns dark brown, similar to damp tree bark. Researchers from the University Museum at the University of Tokyo have uncovered the mechanism behind this rare molluscan transformation. The outmost layer of the snails’ shell is porous like a sponge. When water fills the holes, it changes how light bounces off, making a second darker layer of shell beneath more visible. This has potential applications for smart sensors and materials that react to humidity, without the need for external power. 

CT scans of a 300-million-year-old minnow reveal well-preserved neural tissues, suggesting that the interior of the skull can be used to study the size and structure of early fish brains.

Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have – in collaboration with colleagues from Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich – analysed the complex biochemical processes by means of which bacteria insert proteins into their cell membranes. In the scientific journal of the European Molecular Biology Organization (The EMBO Journal), they explain that – contrary to prior assumptions – there are more similarities between the processes in bacteria and higher cells than previously thought.

Researchers at UBC find that young salmon face greater heat risks than previously measured—and that younger fish and older fish cope with warming water very differently.

A nanosensor measured nitric oxide from patient-derived stem cells. Autism patients produced ~6nM, intellectual disability patients ~11nM, and healthy individuals ~65nM, despite sharing the same genetic mutation. This differential production suggests nitric oxide levels can distinguish autism from other neurodevelopmental disorders with overlapping causes, offering a potential biomarker for more precise diagnosis.