A new map of a brain circuit specific to chronic pain suggests a promising route to treatment for the roughly 60 million Americans living with persistent pain, according to a study published in Nature. The study showed that silencing the specific cells that drive this circuit eased chronic pain while preserving acute pain responses-in other words, the body’s … Read more
For decades, multiple sclerosis research has focused on myelin, the insulation around the brain’s wiring. Scientists paid less attention to another loss that was happening in parallel: neurons in the cortex, the seat of higher thinking and cognition, were quietly dying. A team led by UC San Francisco, University of Cambridge, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center … Read more
From Mediterranean diets to probiotics, scientists reveal how reshaping the gut microbiome could help protect brain function, while highlighting why timing may be critical for slowing cognitive decline. Study: The association between gut microbiota and cognitive decline: A systematic review of the literature. Image credit: Toa55/Shutterstock.com The gut-brain axis is gaining importance as a modulator … Read more
A simple fiber supplement could reshape the gut microbiome, stabilize blood sugar spikes, and even prevent preterm births in high-risk pregnancies, offering a promising new path for precision prenatal care. Study: Dietary fiber supplementation mitigates gestational diabetes risk and preterm birth via gut microbiota modulation: a randomized controlled trial. Image credit: dilyaz/Shutterstock.com A new study … Read more
A collaborative effort between researchers at the Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, and Shenzhen University School of Medicine has provided the first proof-of-principle study demonstrating that targeting a receptor on the surface of anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells (Tregs) can restore their function and alleviate asthma in mice. The study, published March … Read more
A sweeping new review shows how disruptions in the gut microbiome may fuel obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk, while pointing to diet and other microbiome-focused strategies that could help restore metabolic balance. Integrative mechanistic framework linking gut dysbiosis to systemic metabolic dysfunction. Arrows indicate the progression of events from exogenous and host-related factors to … Read more
Even after inflammation resolves, colonic stem cells can retain a hidden molecular memory that increases the likelihood of later tumour growth, offering a new mechanistic link between chronic inflammatory disease and cancer risk. Study: Epigenetic memory of colitis promotes tumour growth. Image Credit: Antonio Marca / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Nature, … Read more
Published on 28/03/2026 – 8:00 GMT+1 Researchers may have found out why older adults are much more likely to be seriously impacted by COVID or the flu. This is mainly due to ageing lung cells, which can trigger excessive immune responses, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco … Read more
Older adults are much more likely to become seriously ill from flu or COVID because aging lung cells can drive excessive immune responses, according to a new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco. The findings enhance the understanding of the inflammation that accompanies aging, explaining how an otherwise minor cough can sometimes send … Read more
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder caused by malfunctioning immune responses that target the brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system (CNS). What makes our body turn against itself? Failure of the immune system to distinguish ‘self’ from ‘non-self’ entities leads to excessive autoimmune responses against self-proteins like myelin, which forms … Read more