Giant DNA viruses that infect eukaryotic cells are thought to have played a role in the evolution of life, according to the nuclear virus origin hypothesis. Now, the discovery of a new giant DNA virus in Japan that infects vermamoeba further supports this idea. Named ushikuvirus, it joins a growing number of such viruses being discovered worldwide, suggesting that ancient viruses may have contributed to the evolution and diversity of eukaryotic cells.

A Korea University research team has discovered that pitavastatin, a widely used lipid-lowering drug, can directly inhibit the Mcl-1 protein—an essential survival factor for therapy-resistant triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). By blocking Mcl-1–dependent mitochondrial protection, pitavastatin eliminates cancer stem-like cells, suppresses metastasis, and restores paclitaxel sensitivity in preclinical models. This repurposed drug may offer a safer, faster-to-deploy therapeutic strategy for patients with aggressive or chemotherapy-refractory TNBC.

Ventilatory ratio (VR) is a simple bedside index reflecting pulmonary dead space and is associated with outcomes in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This study developed and validated separate 30-day mortality prediction models for high and low VR subgroups using multicenter critical care databases. Subgroup-specific models demonstrated superior predictive performance compared with cross-applied models, highlighting the importance of VR-based stratification for improving prognostic accuracy and supporting more individualized ARDS management strategies.

Cells have a remarkable housekeeping system: proteins that are no longer needed, defective, or potentially harmful are labeled with a molecular “tag” and dismantled in the cellular recycling machinery. This process, known as the ubiquitin-proteasome system, is crucial for health and survival. Now, an international team of scientists led by CeMM, AITHYRA and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund has identified a new class of small molecules that harness this natural system to accelerate the removal of an immune-modulating enzyme called IDO1. The findings, published in Nature Chemistry (DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02021-5), introduce a new concept in drug discovery that could transform how we target difficult proteins in cancer and beyond.

Researchers led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have, for the first time, recorded a tiny mechanical “twitch” in rod photoreceptors in living human and animal eyes at the moment they detect light. The finding reveals a fundamental mechanism underlying night vision and could enable new, non-invasive ways to assess retinal health. Rod cells are essential for low-light vision and are often the first affected in age-related retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, which affects an estimated 200 million people worldwide. Current clinical tests for rod function are limited and often subjective. The new approach could lead to objective tools to assess night vision, monitor decline over time and support earlier medical intervention, with further clinical studies planned in Singapore.