We tend to emphasize the maternal role in development: an egg cell is enormous compared to a sperm cell, and a mother gestates the embryo. But a growing body of research suggests that sperm cells carry more than just genetic information.
Research into how a father’s choices — such as diet, exercise, stress, nicotine use — may transfer traits to his children has become impossible to ignore.
Hair is a signature mammalian characteristic with versatile functions, including thermoregulation, protection from ultraviolet radiation, physical and chemical insults, sensation of pain, vibration and touch, and defence from predators.1–3 Human hair patterns, which feature prominently reduced body hair length combined with extremely long scalp hair,4–8 are an outlier among mammals. The likely original function of long scalp hair was to shield the sun-exposed head of upright-standing human ancestors. Long scalp hair probably reduced the amount of sweat secretion required to counter the total thermal load experienced by individuals from incoming solar radiation in equatorial Africa, and from endogenous muscle-generated heat during exercise.9 Tightly curled scalp hair is more efficacious at reducing heat gains compared with other hair shapes, and such hair probably represents the ancestral scalp hair form (Figure 1).9 Variability in hair shapes increased over time. These variations are thought to be associated with the dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) and accompanying effects of populational bottlenecks, admixture with Neanderthals and Denisovans, and adaptations to diverse environments at new geographic locations (Figure 1a).10 Extreme scalp hair length was probably universal across all African AMH populations and available for diverse functions, other than thermoregulation. In this sense, long scalp hair is an excellent example of exaptation, a form of evolutionary co-option,11 whereby it acquired secondary essential functions in communicating social cues.12 Under these conditions, unwanted hair loss triggered significant psychological stress in affected individuals.
Despite variations, both across different species and different body regions, hair typically has a finite length. A fully grown hair fibre commonly remains attached within its hair follicle (HF) until a new round of growth replaces it. In a typical adult human, approximately 90% of scalp HFs are in active growth (anagen) at any given time, which lasts for 5–7 years.13,14 This is in contrast to small (vellus) body HFs, which have short-lasting anagen, such as 22–28 days on the upper arm.15 When large (terminal) scalp HFs reduce in size, start growing vellus-like hairs, and/or stop growing for an extended period, they are considered to be entering a pathological state.
Elucidation of long scalp hair roles in human prehistory requires further investigation of its thermoregulatory benefit vs. the physical burden it may have caused by hindering vision and locomotion. Continuous hair growth is also metabolically expensive, requiring synthesis of large quantities of keratins and keratin-associated proteins.1,2,16,17 Conversely, highly visible long scalp hair effectively communicates a good state of fitness, whereas compromised hair growth implies poor nutrition and disease.17,18 Indeed, kwashiorkor, a disease caused by severe dietary protein deficit, features dramatic hair thinning and depigmentation.19 The ornamental potential of long hair enables the use of distinct hairstyles to signify a person’s social position, creativity and manual skills.20 Therefore, in prehistory, hair styling likely became an essential part of social communication, which probably further promoted long-hair trait selection.
Best advice is simply disinfect with vinegar because it kills it on contact.
The fungal species Candida auris is spreading across the globe, and gaining in virulence, according to a new review by a Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) scientist and colleagues.
But there are strategies available and underway to combat the invasive and drug-resistant germ, says the work in Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews.
The paper summarizes and analyzes the latest developments—and needs—in mycology in 2025. Neeraj Chauhan, Ph.D., of the CDI, is co-author with Anuradha Chowdhary, Ph.D., of the Medical Mycology Unit at the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute at the University of Delhi, who is a global leader in identifying and combating fungal threats, and was one of the first scientists to identify C. auris as a major public health threat in India in 2014. Chowdhary is also a visiting researcher at the CDI.
Winter’s chill impacts children’s health, increasing illness and affecting growth due to reduced sunlight, indoor confinement, and dietary shifts. Experts advise parents to prioritize balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, and physical activity. Simple measures like hygiene, vaccinations, and sun exposure are crucial for keeping kids healthy and thriving throughout the colder months.
Summary: Advanced imaging reveals that COVID-19 may cause lasting brain changes, even in people without ongoing symptoms, pointing to hidden neurological effects that could persist long after recovery.
COVID-19 affects more than the lungs. Research shows that even after people have fully recovered from the infection, the virus can cause significant changes in the brain, underscoring its lasting effects on neurological health.
COVID-19 is widely recognized for its impact on the lungs, but growing evidence shows that the virus can also cause lasting changes in the brain, even in people who have fully recovered. These findings point to potential long-term neurological consequences that extend beyond the acute phase of the illness.
Wang and Wu et al. identify soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) as a key exerkine determining the efficacy of exercise in diabetes prevention, which is modulated by microbiome-dependent leucine through a gut-adipose tissue axis. Pharmacological or dietary interventions targeting adipocyte-secreted sIL-6R may help to improve the metabolic outcomes in those exercise non-responders.
In a Science Immunology Review from earlier this year, researchers discuss how interactions between the nervous and immune systems could impact neurological disorders and allergy-related behaviors like food avoidance.
The nervous and type 2 immune systems regulate each other via cytokines and neurotransmitters, suggesting previously unidentified therapeutic avenues.
Scientists have long suspected that a small population of cells survives treatment and regenerates the tumor. These “cancer stem cells” are thought to resist conventional therapies, allowing the disease to return even after the visible tumor has been removed.
Previous attempts to identify gastric cancer stem cells using other protein markers, such as CD44 or CD133, yielded inconsistent results. These markers often appeared on healthy cells as well or did not fully account for tumor behaviour.
The team discovered that AQP5 reliably marks the cancer stem cells in gastric tumors. Aquaporins are proteins that form channels in cell membranes to control the movement of water into and out of cells. While AQP5 was previously known to mark stem cells in healthy gastric tissue, this study shows it also identifies the specific cells responsible for driving tumor growth, spread, and recurrence.
Importantly, AQP5 does more than simply mark these cells; it actively contributes to their aggressive behavior.
The researchers found that cells with AQP5 were capable of forming new tumors, while cells without AQP5 rarely did so. Most significantly, when they used a targeted method to eliminate only the AQP5-expressing cells, tumors stopped growing or shrank entirely and did not recur. This held true even for cancers that had spread to other organs.
Scientists have identified the specific cells responsible for gastric cancer’s tendency to return after treatment. The study also demonstrated that eliminating these cells stops tumors from growing, even in advanced disease that has spread to other organs.
This year, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) officially recognized a fifth form of diabetes, after decades of controversy. It’s now urging other health authorities, like the World Health Organization (WHO), to follow suit.
Type 5 diabetes is rarely discussed or researched, and yet it is thought to impact up to 25 million people worldwide, especially those in low-and middle-income nations where access to medical care is limited.
It was first described in 1955 in Jamaica, then forgotten about for many years. Even once it was acknowledged by the WHO in the 1980s, the diagnosis created controversy.