The brain’s health depends on more than just its neurons. A complex network of blood vessels and immune cells acts as the brain’s dedicated guardians—controlling what enters, cleaning up waste, and protecting it from threats by forming the blood-brain barrier. A new study from Gladstone Institutes reveals that many genetic risk factors for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and stroke exert their effects within these very guardian cells.

While chemotherapy remains a cornerstone of lung cancer treatment, it often weakens the immune system it relies on for long-term control. 

Researchers have discovered a way to make the immune system’s T cells significantly more effective at fighting cancer. By blocking a protein called Ant2, they were able to reprogram how these cells consume and generate energy—essentially rewiring their internal power supply. This shift makes T cells more active, resilient, and better at attacking tumors. The findings open the door to new treatments that could strengthen the body’s own immune response, offering a smarter, more targeted approach to cancer therapy.

Australian researchers have discovered a promising new strategy to suppress the growth of aggressive and hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a specialised molecular process known as ‘minor splicing’. The study from WEHI, published in EMBO Reports, shows that blocking minor splicing can markedly slow tumour growth in liver, lung and stomach cancers, while leaving healthy cells largely unharmed.