Researchers led by Alejandro Chade at the University of Missouri studied genes involved in chronic kidney disease using animal models. They found genes linked to kidney damage; silencing one gene lowered fibrosis. The team will map and test gene activity.
Photo by charlesdeluvio, Unsplash
A study finds that parents who are more permissive about alcohol are linked to students joining fraternities or sororities and higher binge drinking during the first college year. Authors suggest parenting programs to reduce risk.
A US study found that older unpaid caregivers who use the internet more often tend to feel less lonely. Researchers analysed 2019–2020 California survey data from 3,957 caregivers aged 65 and older; about 12% had health problems.
A new study led by Texas A&M researchers found that 20 minutes of exercise twice weekly may help slow dementia progression in older adults. The team used 2012–2020 Health and Retirement Study data and noted some study limits.
A national poll finds 84% of people 65 and older drive at least once a week, yet 54% of drivers in that group have no plan if they must stop driving. The survey was done in February 2025 with 2,883 respondents.
Brazil’s Butantan-DV single-dose dengue vaccine was authorised on 26 November for people aged 12–59. Trials with 16,000 volunteers showed high efficacy, and the vaccine will join the national programme in early 2026.
Emory University measured antibody responses in 24 people after the 2023–24 monovalent vaccine targeting Omicron XBB.1.5. The study found long-lasting antibodies, cross-reactive protection with the ancestral WA1 strain, and a 2.8-fold boost from immune imprinting.
A study in Nature Communications links cells, genes and chemical messengers to large brain networks seen in fMRI. The research shows networks can bridge molecular features and behavior and may help study mental disorders.
Winter brings more injuries and respiratory illnesses, and emergency departments become busier. Arjun Venkatesh of Yale warned people not to walk on ice, but two days after his interview he slipped on his frozen driveway.
Researchers at the University of Missouri combine in-home sensors and artificial intelligence to track daily changes in people with ALS. The system aims to detect problems early and to alert clinicians for timely action.
Yale researchers found that the protein GLO1 rises in young brains when cellular calcium is high and then falls with age. In animals with an altered RyR2 channel, loss of GLO1 activity linked to worse memory.
Researchers at Texas A&M used microscopic "nanoflowers" to make stem cells produce more mitochondria and transfer them to aging or damaged cells, restoring energy and function without genetic changes or drugs.
Scientists found a mechanical "tipping point" that makes groups of cells switch quickly from healthy to fibrotic states. Collagen fibers, cell spacing and crosslinking control this abrupt change and affect how far mechanical signals travel.