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Category: biotech/medical

The protein periostin may promote the spread of pancreatic cancer—and pain—through nerves

A new Brazilian study has revealed the key role of the protein periostin and stellate pancreatic cells in allowing pancreatic cancer to infiltrate nerves and spread early, increasing the risk of metastasis. The research demonstrates how the tumor reprograms part of the surrounding healthy tissue to acquire a high capacity for invasion. This mechanism is associated with the aggressiveness of the disease and the difficulty of treatment. It also points to possible targets for more precise therapies and personalized treatments.

The findings are published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology.

The most common type of pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma, which originates in the glandular tissue that produces pancreatic juice. It accounts for 90% of diagnosed cases. Although it is not among the most frequent types of cancer, it is considered an aggressive and highly lethal tumor, with a mortality rate almost equivalent to its incidence rate. Globally, there are approximately 510,000 new cases and nearly the same number of deaths each year.

Tuning spin waves—using commercially available devices at room temperature

Physicist Davide Bossini from the University of Konstanz has recently demonstrated how to change the frequency of the collective magnetic oscillations of a material by up to 40%—using commercially available devices at room temperature.

“We now have a full picture,” Bossini says. For years, the physicist from the University of Konstanz has studied how to use light to control the collective magnetic oscillations of a material—known as magnons. In the summer of 2025, he was finally able to show how to change the “magnetic DNA” of a material via the interaction between light and magnons.

He now demonstrates how the frequency of oscillations can be controlled quasi instantly and on demand by means of a weak magnetic field and intense laser pulses. In this way, he can increase or decrease frequencies by up to 40%. The effect is due to the interaction of the optical excitation, magnetic anisotropy (directional dependence) and the external magnetic field.

Ultrasound-activated nanoparticles in immune cells trigger targeted inflammatory response

Piezoelectric nanoparticles deployed inside immune cells and stimulated remotely by ultrasound can trigger the body’s disease-fighting response, according to an interdisciplinary team of Boston College researchers.

The paper is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Chemists determine structure of fuzzy coat that surrounds Tau proteins

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is the clumping of proteins called Tau, which form tangled fibrils in the brain. The more severe the clumping, the more advanced the disease is.

The Tau protein, which has also been linked to many other neurodegenerative diseases, is unstructured in its normal state, but in the pathological state it consists of a well-ordered rigid core surrounded by floppy segments. These disordered segments form a “fuzzy coat” that helps determine how Tau interacts with other molecules.

MIT chemists have now shown, for the first time, they can use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to decipher the structure of this fuzzy coat. They hope their findings will aid efforts to develop drugs that interfere with Tau buildup in the brain.

Progress in stem cell-based embryo models and their applications in developmental biology and biomedicine

This Review discusses recent advances and key challenges in the development of human stem cell-based embryo models, and highlights their applications in fundamental biology and translational potential while emphasizing the importance of ethical frameworks and public engagement.

This new tool could tell us how consciousness works

The technology has entered use in recent years, but it isn’t yet fully integrated into research. Now, two MIT researchers are planning experiments with it, and have published a new paper they term a “roadmap” for using the tool to study consciousness.

“Transcranial focused ultrasound will let you stimulate different parts of the brain in healthy subjects, in ways you just couldn’t before,” says Daniel Freeman, an MIT researcher and co-author of a new paper on the subject. “This is a tool that’s not just useful for medicine or even basic science, but could also help address the hard problem of consciousness. It can probe where in the brain are the neural circuits that generate a sense of pain, a sense of vision, or even something as complex as human thought.”

Transcranial focused ultrasound is noninvasive and reaches deeper into the brain, with greater resolution, than other forms of brain stimulation, such as transcranial magnetic or electrical stimulation.

Near-atomic imaging reveals promising target for ‘Brain on Fire’ condition

Scientists have identified a promising target for treatment of a devastating autoimmune disease affecting the brain.

The discovery could lead to the development of new therapies for a disease triggered by an attack on one of the key neurotransmitter receptors in the brain, the NMDA receptor. It also raises the potential for a blood test to detect a signal of the condition and enable earlier treatment with existing therapies.

The study from Oregon Health & Science University is published in Science Advances.

裂 The Virus That Rewrote Its Own Rulebook: What D1.1 Teaches Us About Living in an Evolving World

Bird Flu 2026

Researchers analyzed 17,500 genomes using Bayesian phylodynamics. Mapped origin, spread, and evolutionary timeline with precision.

The infrastructure failure: Of 1,722 D1.1 sequences, 9% have complete metadata (date + location).

We’re tracking a super-spreader blind.

#OpenScience #DataScience

“Avian Flu in North America: The D1.1 Evolutionary Leap” explores the emergence of a game-changing H5N1 virus variant that has fundamentally altered North America’s disease landscape since mid-2024. Through accessible explanation of cutting-edge genomic science, this episode reveals how the D1.1 genotype achieved unprecedented spread, infected all seven documented host categories including humans, and represents a major evolutionary shift. The podcast examines the massive computational effort behind tracking viral evolution, exposes critical gaps in our surveillance infrastructure, and confronts a paradigm-shifting reality: the Americas have become a primary engine of H5N1 evolution, reversing decades of global health assumptions.

Continue reading “裂 The Virus That Rewrote Its Own Rulebook: What D1.1 Teaches Us About Living in an Evolving World” | >

Ray Dalio: AI Is Accelerating the Collapse — Most People Aren’t Ready for What’s Next

With rapid advancements in AI and automation, individuals must prepare for a potentially unstable future by building financial strength, adapting to change, and rethinking traditional economic policies to avoid societal collapse ## ## Questions to inspire discussion.

Financial Preparation.

💰 Q: How should I structure my finances to build wealth? A: Focus on the fundamental equation: earn minus spend equals save, then invest that saved amount wisely to determine your financial success, as this simple formula is the foundation of building financial strength.

🏃 Q: When should I consider relocating geographically? A: Evaluate your location during major financial shifts and changing world orders, as the ability to move to better places and away from bad places has been historically important for protecting wealth and opportunity.

Career Strategy.

🎯 Q: How do I choose a career that maximizes financial success? A: Select careers that align with your passions while understanding their financial implications, since the work you do will directly impact your financial success during economic transitions.

Continue reading “Ray Dalio: AI Is Accelerating the Collapse — Most People Aren’t Ready for What’s Next” | >

Collision-induced ribosome degradation driven by ribosome competition and translational perturbations

How cells eliminate inefficient ribosomes.

Inside every cell, ribosomes act as tiny but vital factories that build proteins, translating genetic information into the molecules that sustain life. Although ribosomes share the same basic structure, not all of them work with equal precision. Until now, scientists did not fully understand how cells detect and handle ribosomes that underperform.

Addressing this question, a team of researchers has identified a quality control mechanism that ensures only the most competent ribosomes survive. Their study, published in Nature Communications shows that ribosomes compete during protein synthesis. When translation is disrupted, the less efficient ribosomes are selectively broken down, while the stronger ones continue functioning.

Using biochemical and genetic analyses in yeast, the researchers examined how ribosomes behave when translation is disrupted. The team engineered cells to contain a functional but suboptimal ribosome variant. These slower-moving ribosomes are overtaken on messenger RNA by faster, native ribosomes, causing the two types to collide. Such ribosome-ribosome collisions activate a ubiquitination-dependent quality control pathway that selectively removes the less efficient ribosomes.

The team also explored how external factors, such as the anticancer drug cisplatin affect this process. Cisplatin, known for binding to RNA and DNA, was found to increase ribosome collisions, which in turn promoted ribosome degradation. This insight could improve understanding of how the drug acts inside cells and why it sometimes causes side effects.

The implications of this discovery extend beyond basic biology. By showing how cells maintain the quality of their protein factories, the study provides a foundation for understanding disorders caused by ribosome malfunction, known as ribosomopathies. It may also open the door to new approaches for improving the safety and effectiveness of certain drugs.

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