A large population-based study has found that older adults with atrial fibrillation who also have metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease face a significantly higher risk of developing heart failure. The risk becomes even greater when metabolic liver disease is combined with alcohol exposure. The findings highlight the emerging “liver–heart axis” and suggest that liver health may be an overlooked factor in cardiovascular risk assessment.

Researchers have uncovered a key cellular communication network that drives resistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer. By integrating bulk, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics with experimental validation, the study identifies crosstalk between PRRX2-positive epithelial cells and SPP1-positive macrophages as a central mechanism promoting tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis. The findings highlight new biomarkers and suggest potential combination treatment strategies to overcome chemotherapy resistance.

HIV exhausts the body’s immune system by overactivating it, despite effective antiviral treatment. Researchers from Linköping University in Sweden have conducted cell studies showing that an existing medication restores immune cell function. The findings, published in the journal PLOS pathogens, raise hopes that this medication could improve the health of people living with HIV.

Alterations in endometrial microbiota in patients with RIF may alter endometrial metabolites, decrease Treg-cell proportions, affect endometrial receptivity, and ultimately induce recurrent implantation failure.

Fast fashion is appealing because it’s an inexpensive way to dress rapidly growing kids. But preliminary research has found that the fabric in some of these items contains lead. After testing several shirts from different retailers, undergraduate researchers found that all exceeded U.S. federal regulatory lead limits. They also estimate that even briefly chewing these fabrics could expose young children to dangerous lead levels. The researchers will present their results at ACS Spring 2026.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), often triggered by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury during surgeries like transplantation, frequently progresses to irreversible fibrosis and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite the central role of immune cells in driving this process, the specific molecular checkpoints that control the transition from harmful inflammation to tissue repair have remained elusive. Now, research from the team of Professors Cheng Yang and Ruiming Rong at Fudan University has identified a critical protective player.