Ribosomes, the protein factories of our cells, have difficulties building large proteins residing in cellular membranes, a new study finds / publication in The EMBO Journal

People with both atrial fibrillation and Alzheimer’s disease who are treated with modern NOAC blood-thinning medicines may experience a slower rate of cognitive decline. This is shown by a study from Karolinska Institutet published in the European Heart Journal.

A study in the Chinese Medical Journal reveals that the mitochondrial protein RTN4IP1 drives triple-negative breast cancer metastasis by interacting with AK4, depleting NAD⁺, and disrupting glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. RTN4IP1 knockdown suppresses metastatic outgrowth without affecting initial seeding. The findings identify RTN4IP1 and its interaction with AK4 as promising therapeutic targets for this aggressive cancer.

Ovarian ageing is a primary cause of declining female fertility, characterised by a reduction in both oocyte number and quality. A new study from Professor Lin Liu and Professor Zhengmao Zhu’s team at the College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, published in Science China Life Sciences, reveals that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) reprogrammed from granulosa cells of reproductively aged mice exhibit a markedly reduced capacity to differentiate into primordial germ cell‑like cells (PGCLCs). This defect cannot be rescued by simply improving mitochondrial function, but inhibition of the ERK/MAPK signalling pathway significantly enhances differentiation efficiency. The findings provide new insights into the decline of germ‑cell regenerative potential during ovarian ageing and identify a potential intervention target for future fertility restoration using autologous cells.

The Human-Environment Connection and Interaction Atlas (HECIA) is a tool for designing habitats in space and other extreme environments, where crews can not just survive but thrive. Users can explore the relationships between aspects of a habitat’s design and an inhabitant’s mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.