Phosvitin, a rich phosphoprotein found in egg yolks, is the starting material for phosvitin phosphopeptides (PPPs), a powerful and potentially impactful dietary delivery agent to relieve oxidative stress that can lead to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Results show promise with PPPs, including increasing cell viability, free-radical reduction and inhibitory activities that promote cell protection.

Cancer data for Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) people are usually combined, hiding vast differences in cancer risk. New disaggregated data analyzed by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that Native Hawaiian women have 27% higher breast cancer incidence than White women, and have the highest rates in the U.S. when Asian American and NHPI women are not combined. Disaggregated data breaks down differences among Asian American and NHPI ethnic groups that would not have been apparent if the data were combined.

Researchers in Korea are developing a new approach to localized brachytherapy that could improve the treatment of keloid scars. The strategy uses injectable, biodegradable hyaluronic acid microgels that act as tiny radiation reservoirs within target tissue. By combining rapid radiolabeling with localized delivery, the platform aims to overcome limitations of conventional radiation treatment while offering greater flexibility and precision. The study highlights a promising step toward targeted, minimally invasive microbrachytherapy. 

Acting as an armor, a scaffold, and a communication platform, the plasma membrane lies at the heart of many crucial cellular processes. Now, researchers at OIST and collaborating institutions have revealed a crucial yet often overlooked membrane component: complex sugar chains, known as glycans. They found that glycans carried by gangliosides form weak, short-lived pairs through repeated "fleeting encounters," helping build membrane nanodomains and regulate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, which in turn modulates cell division. 

When proteins and lipids interact at the cell surface, they kick off essential cellular signaling pathways that play a role in physiological processes throughout the body. When these interactions and signaling pathways are disrupted, it can create conditions where cells can grow out of control and turn into tumors or other diseases. Therefore, understanding how these molecules interact at the cell surface may help inform the development of more targeted therapies in the future. Beyond proteins and lipids, polymers made of sugars called glycans that form a layer on the cell surface also seem to play a similarly important role that has yet to be completely understood.