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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Oct-2026 17:15 ET (25-Oct-2026 21:15 GMT/UTC)

Researchers transform old blood cells into young brain cells

University of Bonn
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the University Hospital of Bonn and the University of Bonn have succeeded in dramatically rejuvenating human cells in a test tube. To do so, they directly reprogrammed red blood cell precursors into stem cells from which neurons can be derived. During this process, the molecular clocks that indicate a cell’s age were reset. For example, blood cells from an 80-year-old were transformed into stem cells with a molecular age of less than 20 years. Since this rejuvenation process occurred very slowly, it is well-suited for a more detailed investigation of the underlying mechanisms. The results have been published in the journal Aging Cell.

Journal: Aging Cell

WHO recognizes Liverpool as global leader in brain health research

University of Liverpool
Business Announcement

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated the University of Liverpool’s Liverpool Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Centre (LINC), as a new WHO Collaborating Centre in Brain Health.

Noninvasive coronary artery calcification assessment in people living with HIV: A call for integrated risk screening

Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This review summarizes evidence on coronary artery calcification in people living with HIV and proposes a multimodal risk model integrating coronary artery calcification scores with inflammatory, immune, and genetic biomarkers to improve early cardiovascular risk prediction and guide personalized prevention.

Journal: Infectious Diseases & Immunity

Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease shows different warning signs from established risk factors

University of Oulu, Finland
Peer-Reviewed Publication

People who develop Alzheimer’s disease before the age of 65 experience a growing range of health problems and increasing use of healthcare services years before diagnosis. However, the cardiovascular risk factors traditionally associated with Alzheimer’s disease are no more common among those diagnosed at working age than among age- and sex-matched controls without neurodegenerative disease.

Journal: Alzheimer s & Dementia

Feeling confident about a relationship’s future may be linked to romantic attachment

Waseda University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Feeling confident that a romantic relationship will remain stable may be important for how people experience their relationships, finds a study by researchers at Waseda University and Nagoya University. Comparing gay and heterosexual men, the researchers found higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance and lower perceived relationship stability among gay men. The study suggests that differences in attachment may be linked not only to experiences within relationships, but also to the surrounding social environment.

Journal: BMC Psychology

Blocking enzyme reduces heart failure risk after heart attack in mice

Nagoya University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers in Japan discovered that blocking the enzyme BCAT1 can reduce fibrosis, or harmful stiffening, in mouse hearts after a heart attack. This intervention preserved heart function even when administered after tissue damage had begun. The findings suggest BCAT1 as a promising, targeted therapy for heart failure in humans, with the potential for fewer side effects.

Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Funder: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Takeda Science Foundation, Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research, Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund, Ono Medical Research Foundation, Hoansha Foundation, Yasuda Medical Foundation, KOSÉ Cosmetology Research Foundation, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellow, Make New Standards Program for the Next Generation Researchers

New modified acupuncture needle enables minimally invasive lymph node sampling for molecular profiling

International Society for Health Data Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

On July 25, 2026, Cui Baiping, Li Mingyu, Zhou Pingzhu, Cheow Lihfeng, Ma Hailong, Liu Dongdong published an article online in iMetaMed, titled "Minimally Invasive Sampling for Molecular Profiling of Lymph Nodes Using a Modified Acupuncture Needle." This study introduces a minimally invasive lymphatic sampling platform capable of directly extracting DNA from lymph nodes as an alternative to traditional tissue sampling. The extracted DNA can be utilized for downstream molecular profiling, offering a complementary tool to existing histopathological evaluations.

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shanghai Excellent Overseas Young Scientists

Unraveling a new pathogenic mechanism of SMA: Splicing defects of the conserved Pcyt2 minor intron in specific neuroglia drive disease onset

Science China Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe neuromuscular disease caused by insufficient SMN protein, yet the critical downstream mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis remain unclear. We previously identified that splicing of the conserved minor intron of Pcyt2 (Phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase 2) depends on sufficient SMN protein. Here, we reveal that simply replacing the minor intron of Pcyt2 with a major intron is sufficient to reverse SMA-associated phenotypes. Based on our discovery that Pcyt2 is specifically expressed in certain neuroglial subtypes, we further show that restoring Pcyt2 in these subtypes significantly alleviates SMA-associated phenotypes in both Drosophila and mouse models. These findings identify Pcyt2 minor intron mis-splicing as a key driver of SMA, offering opportunities for new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies.

Journal: Science Bulletin

N6-methyladenosine in inflammatory bowel disease: An emerging regulator of pathogenesis and a novel therapeutic frontier.

International Society for Health Data Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the intestine. In recent years, it has been unveiled that N6-methyladenosine (also named m6A) modification, the most prevalent internal mRNA modification in mammalian cells, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and development of IBD. m6A modification exerts on all four components of the intestinal barrier, including the intestinal mechanical barrier, intestinal chemical barrier, intestinal immunological barrier, and intestinal biological barrier. This paper reviews previous studies that focused on the role of m6A modification in IBD, aiming to elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms underlying IBD pathogenesis and progression, and offering novel perspectives for IBD diagnosis, treatment and prognosis prediction.

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Capital Health Research and Development of Special Fund, Peking University People’s Hospital Scientific Research Development Fund

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