Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be an essential part of a healthy diet. As humans cannot produce them, they have to be consumed in sufficient amounts. However, omega-6, -7, -9, and -10 fatty acids also play important roles in the metabolism of fats. These numbers indicate the position of the first double bond in a fatty acid chain. Deviations in the omega position can signal enzyme malfunctions or pathological metabolic processes, such as those occurring in cancer. Now, researchers at the University of Graz and the University of California, San Diego present in Nature Communications a novel, effective method to determine omega positions of lipids – the scientific term for fats – in complex biological samples including human tissues and blood.

Valencia, Spain will host Targeting Extracellular Vesicles 2025 on October 15–16, uniting global experts to explore how extracellular vesicles (EVs) are revolutionizing diagnostics and therapeutics. With the theme “Bridging Two Frontiers: Mitochondria & Microbiota”, the event will reveal how EVs connect cellular energy metabolism and microbiome science, two key systems influencing human health. 
Sessions will feature cutting-edge research, clinical applications, and technology showcases aimed at breakthroughs in cancer, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, and immune health. Abstracts are invited until September 10, 2025.

Neuroblastoma, a deadly childhood cancer, has long defied precise predictions due to its biological complexity.

A team of international researchers has published a comprehensive review in Advanced Science detailing how combining protein three-dimensional spatial structures with artificial intelligence is reshaping the way scientists predict and design drug combinations. By integrating high-resolution protein modeling with advanced AI algorithms, the approach offers unprecedented accuracy in identifying synergistic and antagonistic effects, paving the way for safer and more effective treatments for cancer, infectious diseases, and metabolic disorders.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered a new pathway by which cells counteract the action of alovudine, an important antiviral and anticancer drug. The protein flap endonuclease-1 (Fen1) was found to improve cell tolerance by counteracting the toxic accumulation of another protein, 53BP1. A renewed spotlight on the underappreciated role of Fen1 promises not only new cancer treatments, but a way to gauge the efficacy of existing treatments.

New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) develops a powerful new resource for studying gene regulation across eukaryotes; uncovers how “jumping genes” can drive cancer growth; describes how an unexpected oxygen sensor regulates ferroptosis; establishes a technique to map chromatin architecture in 3D; creates new models for studying schizophrenia-associated defects; and finds transcription factor 19 is critical for the responses of natural killer cells to viral infection.

The growing healthcare burden posed by hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common subtype of liver cancer, has prompted the establishment of a Commission comprising a wide range of medical and public health experts. Now, they present their findings in a recent report, which defines concrete goals for the reduction of hepatocellular carcinoma cases, and presents a set of evidence-based recommendations to help stakeholders work together to achieve these goals.