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DNA-nanoparticle motors are exactly as they sound: tiny artificial motors that use the structures of DNA and RNA to propel motion by enzymatic RNA degradation. Essentially, chemical energy is converted into mechanical motion by biasing the Brownian motion. The DNA-nanoparticle motor uses the 'burnt-bridge' Brownian ratchet mechanism. In this type of movement, the motor is being propelled by the degradation (or 'burning') of the bonds (or 'bridges') it crosses along the substrate, essentially biasing its motion forward.

A breakthrough study sheds new light on how brain cells relay critical information from their extremities to their nucleus, leading to the activation of genes essential for learning and memory.

A new study has identified a group of neurons that, when activated, can induce a hypometabolic state, akin to hibernation. The discovery could have far-reaching implications for conditions like obesity, cardiometabolic diseases, and even for space travel. The research team found that these neurons regulate key aspects of the brain-heart-gut axis.

A new paper led by Professor Imanuel Lerman of UC San Diego provides a review of the field of bioelectronic medicine and the most promising opportunities for life-changing new therapies and diagnostics.

The ability to alter proteins to refine control over binding affinity and specificity can create tailored therapeutics with reduced side effects, highly sensitive diagnostic tools, efficient biocatalysis, targeted drug delivery systems and sustainable bioremediation solutions. However, various approaches to such protein redesign have time-consuming drawbacks. Researchers now offer a simplified method they call ProteinReDiff that uses artificial intelligence to speed the redesign of ligand-binding proteins.

Do speakers of different languages build sentence structure in the same way? In a neuroimaging study, scientists recorded the brain activity of participants listening to Dutch stories. In contrast to English, sentence processing in Dutch was based on a strategy for predicting what comes next rather than a 'wait-and-see' approach, showing that strategies may differ across languages.

A team has unearthed new findings about what happens during the minutes and hours after a cell divides, expanding our understanding of human biology -- and potentially leading to better medicines.

A brain-computer interface, surgically placed in a research participant with tetraplegia, paralysis in all four limbs, provided an unprecedented level of control over a virtual quadcopter -- just by thinking about moving his unresponsive fingers.

Researchers have made an exciting discovery about how human cells protect DNA during cell division, offering new insights into combating diseases such as cancer. The research uncovers the vital role of a protein called PICH in preventing genetic errors that can lead to diseases such as cancer.

Antibiotic overuse is a key driver in the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a major global health crisis. Researchers have provided compelling evidence that short-course antibiotic treatments can be a game-changer in tackling ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a serious infection common in critically ill patients.

A first-of-its-kind study shows that while teams with differing skill sets and perspectives bring fresh, unique ideas to the table, they often struggle to create practical, workable solutions -- raising important questions for managers and businesses worldwide.

Smaller poops from smaller birds carry very low risk of foodborne pathogens on farms, finds a new study.

Trypanosomes are parasites that cause sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and various animal diseases. Diagnosis and treatment remain complex and no effective vaccine has been developed. A better understanding of the molecular processes in the parasite is fundamental to the development of novel effective drugs. Scientists have now characterized an important protein complex -- the nuclear cap-binding complex -- that is vital for trypanosomes, since it binds to the end of each of the parasites' mRNAs.

Antibiotics, antivirals, vaccinations and anti-inflammatory medication are associated with reduced risk of dementia, according to new research that looked at health data from over 130 million individuals.

Two major theories of aging both involve DNA, but in very different ways. Researchers have revealed that these theories may not be so different after all.

A clinical trial demonstrates the effectiveness of telephone-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing fatigue's interference with functioning and improving the quality of life for survivors of metastatic breast cancer. The ACT intervention helped study participants to fall asleep with greater ease. Fatigue remains a significant challenge for these survivors, affecting up to 63 percent of patients and severely impacting daily functioning.

Researchers find that microglia function differently in males versus females, potentially having broad implications for how neurological diseases are studied.

When children with obesity undergo weight-loss treatment, the effects have repercussions later in life and the risk of serious health problems and premature death is lower as they reach young adulthood. However, this is not the case for depression and anxiety, a study reports.

Boys exposed to violent screen content in the preschool years were more likely to become antisocial and violent themselves a decade later, in their mid-teens, a new study shows.

People with the skin condition psoriasis often have invisible inflammation in the small intestine with an increased propensity for 'leaky gut', according to new research. These changes in the gut could explain why psoriasis sufferers often have gastrointestinal problems and are more prone to developing Crohn's disease.

A global survey spanning 68 countries reveals that public trust in scientists is still high. A team of 241 researchers conducted the largest post-pandemic study of trust in science, societal expectations and public views on research priorities.

Researchers have profiled the molecular structure and features of a key part of the deadly Nipah virus. Experiments in cells showe how changes in the viral polymerase -- a protein involved in viral replication -- can alter the virus's ability to make copies of itself and infect cells. Further analysis revealed parts of the Nipah virus polymerase that may render the pathogen susceptible to drugs.

Over half of our genomes consists of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the 'dark side' of the genome, researchers have now revealed their crucial role in early embryo development.

Researchers have determined how children's immune systems react to different kinds of cancer depending on their age. The study reveals significant differences between the immune response of children and adults, and has the potential to lead to new tailored treatments for children with cancer.

People with pockets of fat hidden inside their muscles are at a higher risk of dying or being hospitalized from a heart attack or heart failure, regardless of their body mass index, according to new research. This 'intermuscular' fat is highly prized in beef steaks for cooking. However, little is known about this type of body fat in humans, and its impact on health. This is the first study to comprehensively investigate the effects of fatty muscles on heart disease. The new finding adds evidence that existing measures, such as body mass index or waist circumference, are not adequate to evaluate the risk of heart disease accurately for all people.

Cultural traits -- the information, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and practices that shape the character of a population -- are influenced by conformity, the tendency to align with others, or anti-conformity, the choice to deliberately diverge. A new way to model this dynamic interplay could ultimately help explain societal phenomena like political polarization, cultural trends, and the spread of misinformation.

Across most of the Northeast, getting bitten by a blacklegged tick-- also called a deer tick -- is a risk during spring, summer, and fall. A new Dartmouth study, published in Parasites and Vectors, finds that 50% of adult blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease while 20% to 25% of the younger (nymph) blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria.

A group of immune proteins called the inflammasome can help prevent blood stem cells from becoming malignant by removing certain receptors from their surfaces and blocking cancer gene activity, according to a preclinical study.

Nobody wants to share a day on the water with E. coli. The bacteria is a sure sign of fecal contamination, which is washed into waterways from farm fields or sewage systems by rain. The microbes are also dangerous exposure to E. coli can lead to illness, hospitalization and even death.

Researchers have improved our understanding of how rotavirus, the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in children, makes people sick. The study is among the first to show that the rotavirus protein NSP4 is both necessary and sufficient for multiple aspects of rotavirus infection by disrupting calcium signaling not only within infected cells but also in nearby uninfected cells. These disruptions in calcium signaling affect rotavirus disease severity, providing new insights into how NSP4's function influences rotavirus virulence. The findings suggest that manipulating NSP4 could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat rotavirus infections.

Long classified as a subset of common liver cancer, FLC should be considered its own unique disease. Now researchers are testing a combination drug therapy that targets FLC tumors.

A new study has found older-looking brains in adults with sickle cell disease, helping to explain the cognitive challenges experienced by such individuals. A brain image from a healthy individual (left) shows a larger brain with more white matter compared with a brain image from a patient with sickle cell disease (right). Healthy individuals experiencing economic deprivation also had more-aged appearing brains.

Neuroscientists have identified that the receptor IL-1R1 plays a critical role in enabling neurons to directly communicate with the immune system. The new study provides the most detailed mapping of neuronal IL-1R1 (nIL-1R1) expression in the mouse brain, clarifying prior inconsistencies. Researchers were able to tag neuronal populations that express nIL-1R1 using a clever cell tagging approach, offering new insights into the functional roles of this receptor in the central nervous system (CNS).

Sunburn has traditionally been attributed to UV-induced DNA damage. However, a new study reveals that RNA, another vital cellular molecule, plays a major role in triggering acute sunburn reactions.

Subtle changes in the brain, detectable through advanced imaging, blood and spinal fluid analysis, happen approximately twenty years before a clinical motor diagnosis in people with Huntington's disease, finds a new study.

Astronomers have now produced the highest resolution direct images ever taken of a supermassive black hole in the infrared, using the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer.

Cutting-edge fluorescent cholesterol probes now enable scientists to visualize cholesterol movement and distribution in live cells with unprecedented detail. By combining computer simulations with live-cell imaging, researchers have uncovered how different probe designs influence cholesterol probe behavior. These probes could reveal how cholesterol imbalances drive Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders, aiding drug development to modulate lipid activity and potentially offering new treatments or prevention strategies.

Fetuses of pregnant people who gained excess weight in the first trimester of pregnancy show signs of excess fat distribution in the upper arm and in the abdomen, according to a new study. These findings may inform efforts to prevent excessive weight gain early in life, a risk factor for adult obesity and related conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Two new articles document progress in neuroprosthetic technology that lets people feel the shape and movement of objects moving over the 'skin' of a bionic hand.

The tissue adjacent to a tumor behaves differently than areas farther away: The tumor's cancerous cells influence their surroundings, blocking the body's immune defenses and creating a sort of haven in which the tumor can grow. Treatments that target some of these pro-tumor actions are effective in a number of cancers, but only for some patients; in others, these treatments have little effect. Researchers have now developed a new approach that simultaneously targets several of these pro-tumor actions at once, which they have demonstrated can effectively reduce tumor growth across several types of cancers. Their new findings point to a potential new treatment that may benefit more patients than current therapeutic options.

Scientists have unveiled insights into how HIV-1, the virus responsible for AIDS, skillfully hijacks cellular machinery for its own survival. By dissecting the molecular interplay between the virus and its host, the researchers identified novel strategies that HIV-1 employs to ensure its replication while suppressing the host's cellular defenses.

Researchers have discovered that bacteria can sense threats in advance through a general danger signal. Bacteria detect when nearby cells are dying and proactively form a protective biofilm. Understanding how bacteria communicate and respond to threats is crucial for combating infections.

Two new studies have identified a possible way to block the progression of several forms of blood cancer using a drug already in clinical trials against breast cancer.

Scientists have used deep learning to design new proteins that bind to complexes involving other small molecules like hormones or drugs, opening up a world of possibilities in the computational design of molecular interactions for biomedicine.

Data collected by wearable technology can identify disease flare-ups up to seven weeks in advance.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) today released Cancer Statistics, 2025, the organization's annual report on cancer facts and trends. The new findings show the cancer mortality rate declined by 34% from 1991 to 2022 in the United States, averting approximately 4.5 million deaths. However, this steady progress is jeopardized by increasing incidence for many cancer types, especially among women and younger adults, shifting the burden of disease. For example, incidence rates in women 50-64 years of age have surpassed those in men, and rates in women under 50 are now 82% higher than their male counterparts, up from 51% in 2002.

Scientists have discovered a surprising mechanism by which the inherited genetic mutation known to cause Huntington's disease leads to the death of brain cells. The findings change the understanding of the fatal neurodegenerative disorder and suggest potential ways to delay or even prevent it. For 30 years, researchers have known that Huntington's is caused by an inherited mutation in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene, but they didn't know how the mutation causes brain cell death. A new study reveals that the inherited mutation doesn't itself harm cells. Rather, the mutation is innocuous for decades but slowly morphs into a highly toxic form that then quickly kills the cell.

Scientists have discovered that the protein machines that shape our DNA can switch direction. Until now, researchers believed that these so-called SMC motors that make loops into DNA could move in one direction only. The discovery is key to understanding how these motors shape our genome and regulate our genes.

Researchers have shown that the amount of a protein called CD74 can indicate which people with bowel cancer may respond best to immunotherapy.

Studies have shown a persistent gender gap when it comes to wages -- disparities that stretch over decades. Past analyses have pointed to various causes for this discrepancy, but often overlooked is how such divides may surface early in life. In a related new study of boys and girls, a team of psychology researchers has found that despite holding similar views on the purpose and value of negotiation, boys ask for bigger bonuses than girls do for completing the same work. The findings indicate that these outcomes are linked, in part, to differences in perceptions of abilities.

Amid a global surge in measles cases, new research suggests that undernutrition may be exacerbating outbreaks in areas suffering from food insecurity. A study involving over 600 fully vaccinated children in South Africa found those who were undernourished had substantially lower levels of antibodies against measles.

A new report shows the benefit of wearing contact lenses for slowing myopia has a lasting effect -- good news since 50% of the world (5 billion people) will likely be nearsighted by 2050.

Scientists have made 'exciting,' patient-friendly advances in developing a non-toxic bacterial therapy, BacID, to deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly into tumors. This emerging technology holds promise for very safe and more effective treatment of cancers with high mortality rates, including liver, ovarian and metastatic breast cancer.

A new study found that younger siblings generally receive more favorable treatment from parents. Meanwhile, older siblings are often granted more autonomy, and parents are less controlling towards them as they grow up.

A new storage technique can keep protein-based drugs and vaccines stable without keeping them cold. The discovery could eliminate the need for refrigeration for hundreds of life-saving medicines like insulin, monoclonal antibodies and viral vaccines.

Researchers find that allergy medicine could help patients with a rare genetic disease avoid liver transplants.

Regular aerobic exercise could significantly reduce disease markers associated with Alzheimer's, new research has found. The findings provide new hope in the battle against this devastating disorder.

Developing rice with tolerance to higher nighttime temperatures has become a focus for rice breeders because studies are showing nights are getting warmer in rice-growing regions. Vibha Srivastava, professor of plant biotechnology in the crop, soil and environmental sciences department for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, explores the topic of breeding rice and the potential for gene editing to tolerate night heat in the December issue of Current Opinion in Plant Biology with an article titled 'Beat the heat: Breeding, genomics, and gene editing for high nighttime temperature tolerance in rice.'

Data from continuous glucose monitors can predict nerve, eye and kidney damage caused by type 1 diabetes researchers have found. That suggests doctors may be able to use data from the devices to help save patients from blindness, diabetic neuropathy and other life-changing diabetes complications.

Research has established a clear link between racial and ethnic disparities in maternal heart health and higher risks of preterm birth, preeclampsia and cardiovascular issues for Black and Hispanic mothers and their babies.