Category Biology/Biotechnology

A protein long understood to drive inflammation by producing nitric oxide has a second, previously unknown role—it physically binds to another key protein inside cells to directly modulate the immune response. The discovery, published in Nature Metabolism, could open new routes to treating conditions such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, Crohn’s and other inflammatory diseases.

When the immune system detects infection or injury, it triggers inflammation to fight back. That response is essential, but it must be carefully controlled...

Restoring the gut microbiome to its youthful state may hold the key to slowing aging and preventing liver cancer, one of the fastest-growing cancers worldwide, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW 2026).

Researchers collected fecal samples from eight young mice and transplanted them back into the same mice when they were older, a process called fecal microbiota transplantation, or FMT. The eight controls received sterilized fecal slurry, and a small group of similar young mice provided additional baseline data.

None of the mice with the restored microbiome developed liver cancer by the end of the study, while liver cancer was found in 2 out of 8 aging controls...

A popular Korean skincare ingredient may be far more powerful than anyone realized. Scientists have discovered that madecassic acid—derived from the herb Centella asiatica—can stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their tracks, including dangerous strains of Ecoli. By targeting a bacterial protein that humans don’t have, the compound disrupts the microbes’ ability to survive, making it a promising new type of antibiotic.

Madecassic acid is widely known in Korean skincare as a calming “hero ingredient,” but new research suggests it may have a much bigger role to play. Scientists at the University of Kent have found that this plant-derived compound could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria, one of the most pressing global health threats.

Working with colleagues at Uni...

Diabetes affects more than 40 million people in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. For many, the chronic condition means a lifetime of pain as worsening circulation leads to nonhealing ulcers in the extremities, especially the legs and feet.

Chronic inflammation, difficulty in forming nutrient-carrying capillaries, and overzealous immune cells that attack healing tissue all combine to make diabetic foot ulcers one of the most difficult wounds to treat...