In a fascinating twist, Mayo Clinic researchers discovered that a sugar molecule cancer cells use to hide from the immune system might also protect insulin-producing beta cells in type 1 diabetes. By engineering these cells with the same sugar molecule—sialic acid—they prevented immune attacks in lab models. This approach could lead to better transplant options …

This sugar molecule could stop type 1 diabetes, by fooling the immune system Read More »

New research suggests that multiple sclerosis (MS) may quietly begin affecting the body up to 15 years before the first obvious neurological symptoms appear. Researchers found a steady increase in healthcare visits related to vague symptoms like fatigue, pain, and mental health issues, with noticeable patterns of doctor consultations long before diagnosis. ​New research suggests …

Fatigue, anxiety, pain? They might be MS in disguise Read More »

Scientists in Japan have discovered a genetic “silencer” within the HTLV-1 virus that helps it stay hidden in the body, evading the immune system for decades. This silencer element essentially turns the virus off, preventing it from triggering symptoms in most carriers. Incredibly, when this silencer was added to HIV, it made that virus less …

Hidden gene in leukemia virus could revolutionize HIV treatment Read More »

Between 2003 and 2021, Earth saw a net boost in photosynthesis, mainly thanks to land plants thriving in warming, wetter conditions—especially in temperate and high-latitude regions. Meanwhile, ocean algae struggled in increasingly stratified and nutrient-poor tropical waters. Scientists tracked this global energy shift using satellite data, revealing that land ecosystems not only added more biomass …

The hidden climate battle between forests and the ocean Read More »

Half a billion years ago, a strange sea-dwelling creature called Mollisonia symmetrica may have paved the way for modern spiders. Using detailed fossil brain analysis, researchers uncovered neural patterns strikingly similar to today’s arachnids—suggesting spiders evolved in the ocean, not on land as previously believed. This brain structure even hints at a critical evolutionary leap …

A 500-million-year-old fossil just rewrote the spider origin story Read More »

Scientists have discovered a sugar compound from deep-sea bacteria that can destroy cancer cells in a dramatic way. This natural substance, produced by microbes living in the ocean, causes cancer cells to undergo a fiery form of cell death, essentially making them self-destruct. In lab tests and in mice with liver cancer, the compound not …

Cancer cells go up in flames—thanks to this deep-sea sugar Read More »

When imagining the future, optimists’ brains tend to look remarkably alike, while pessimists show more varied neural activity. This neurological alignment could explain why optimists are often more socially in sync with others. ​When imagining the future, optimists’ brains tend to look remarkably alike, while pessimists show more varied neural activity. This neurological alignment could …

Optimists think alike—and brain scans just proved it Read More »

HIV antivirals may be the key to stopping HTLV-1, a deadly virus with no cure. In a decade-long study, researchers successfully suppressed the virus in mice and discovered a way to kill infected cells, offering hope for the first preventative and curative treatments. ​HIV antivirals may be the key to stopping HTLV-1, a deadly virus …

A deadly virus no one talks about — and the HIV drugs that might stop it Read More »