Sperm carry far more than DNA. As they develop in the testis and mature in the epididymis, they also carry a shifting set of chemical marks on RNA — a molecular layer that may help shape fertility and influence how paternal experiences are passed to the next generation.

Now, researchers have produced a detailed map of this changing “sperm RNA modification code.” In a study published in Science China Life Sciences, the team profiled 27 types of RNA modifications across mouse testis development, purified spermatogenic cells, sperm collected from different regions of the epididymis and a typeⅡdiabetes mellitus mouse model. The work reveals that sperm RNA modifications are not static labels, but a dynamic program that is written, erased and reorganized as sperm move toward maturity.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important therapeutic targets for numerous diseases. However, developing highly selective drugs for GPCRs remains a challenge. Researchers have now developed a new platform termed extracellular vesicle (EV)-Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment, which uses EVs to efficiently isolate potent DNA aptamers. Using this method, they identified an analgesic aptamer that targets µ-opioid receptor to mimic morphine-like activity, demonstrating the platform’s potential in accelerating drug discovery for GPCR-related conditions

Can the trauma of a parent rewrite the mental health of a child born decades later? A new compelling study reveals that children born decades after the Holocaust to parents who were older than age five at the time of the initial Nazi persecutions faced elevated schizophrenia risk. This preconception echo underscores specific periods of vulnerability to trauma experienced in childhood and suggests that the shadows of atrocities can quietly reach across generations.

A molecule linked to chronic inflammation disrupts the brain’s ability to create new neurons – uncovering a pathway with therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases and neurological conditions.