Cooperation exists in board games, among researchers and among bacteria. Working closely together locally, scientists have deciphered how two species of bacteria join forces to avoid being eaten.

A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València and the company Corify Care has made a major breakthrough in cardiac electrophysiology with the publication of its patented Global Volumetric Mapping technology in the journal Nature Communications Medicine. The publication validates the first system capable of simultaneously mapping all four chambers of the heart, providing physicians with a comprehensive, real-time view of arrhythmias that current solutions cannot offer.

In two new studies on 28,000 individuals, researchers are able to show that genetic variants in 11 regions of the human genome have a clear influence on which bacteria are in the gut and what they do there. Only two genetic regions were previously known. Some of the new genetic variants can be linked to an increased risk of gluten intolerance, haemorrhoids and cardiovascular diseases.

A research team from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has made a major breakthrough in treating premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). The team discovered that finerenone, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes-related chronic kidney disease, can promote the development of follicles into mature eggs and form viable embryos in patients with POI. In contrast to traditional strategies focusing solely on direct follicle stimulation, this pioneering study is the first to focus on improving the ovarian microenvironment to treat infertility caused by POI.

Constructed with tubulin heterodimers connected into a hollow cylinder, the microtubule, an essential component of the cytoskeleton, plays a vital role in various intracellular processes. In a groundbreaking study, a cross-disciplinary research team led by Professor Yuan Lin from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, and Professor Jeff Ti from the School of Biomedical Sciences in the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has revealed how the biological function of microtubules is achieved through mechanical regulation at the tubulin level.

As Hong Kong moves towards implementing landmark legislation to protect people’s end-of-life care wishes, a research team at the LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has developed and tested a pioneering tool to improve crucial conversations behind those decisions.

The ‘Advance Care Planning Communication Assessment Tool’ (ACP-CAT) – validated for the first time in real-world clinical settings – was used to assess 137 actual medical consultations facilitating advance care planning. The study uncovered serious gaps in current communication practices among doctors, patients and family members, and offers a roadmap for improvement. The findings were published in Palliative Medicine.

A high-level scientific panel moderated by the Financial Times titled: “How the human exposome will unlock better health and medicine”, gathers three leaders of the Global Exposome Forum from the United States and Europe, to brief delegates from the global scientific community on progress made since its launch in Washington D.C. in May, 2025.