New perspectives for wound healing and the treatment of chronic diseases

Human fibroblasts comprise diverse populations with specialized roles in tissue homeostasis and pathology that are controlled by developmental and environmental signals. Image: Professor Sandra Franz, Biorender.com

Fibroblasts are specialised connective tissue cells that play a key role in wound healing and tissue regeneration. The recent scientific publication from the University of Leipzig Medical Center shows that fibroblasts respond differently depending on the organ and disease context. Their functions are shaped by their embryonic origin, tissue-specific signals, and pathological stimuli...

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Scientific breakthrough brings CO2 ‘breathing’ batteries closer to reality

The lithium-CO2 battery prototype in a jar

Scientists at the University of Surrey have made a breakthrough in eco-friendly batteries that not only store more energy but could also help tackle greenhouse gas emissions. Lithium-COâ‚‚ ‘breathing’ batteries release power while capturing carbon dioxide, offering a greener alternative that may one day outperform today’s lithium-ion batteries.

Until now, Lithium-COâ‚‚ batteries have faced setbacks in efficiency — wearing out quickly, failing to recharge and relying on expensive rare materials such as platinum. However, researchers from Surrey have found a way to overcome these issues by using a low-cost catalyst called caesium phosphomolybdate (CPM)...

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Missing link in early Martian water cycle discovered

Early Mars, as it may have been, billions of years ago. Graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin have published research that suggests much of the planet’s water was locked underground. Credit: Ittiz/Wikimedia Commons

Astronomers have filled a large gap in knowledge about Mars’ water cycle. Their research on water percolating from surface to aquifer could change the picture of what early Mars was like, suggesting that less of the planet’s water may have been available to become rain and refill lakes and oceans.

Billions of years ago, water flowed on the surface of Mars. But scientists have an incomplete picture of how the Red Planet’s water cycle worked.

That could soon change after two graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin filled a large gap in k...

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Gut bacteria and acetate team up to cut fat in mice without muscle loss

Gut bacteria and acetate, a great combination for weight loss
Credit: Cell Metabolism (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.04.013

Researchers led by Hiroshi Ohno at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan have discovered a new way to reduce obesity. Their study shows that supplying the gut with extra acetate reduces fat and liver mass in both normal and obese mice, as long as bacteria of the Bacteroides species are also present in the gut.

When both these conditions are met, gut bacteria can eliminate more sugars from the gut and promote the burning of fats for energy in the host. The findings were published in Cell Metabolism.

Affecting hundreds of millions of people around the world, obesity constitutes a global epidemic...

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