Universal stem cells reset immunity in a systemic sclerosis patient

Universal stem cells reset immunity in a systemic sclerosis patient
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.05.038

Research led by Naval Medical University’s Changzheng Hospital in China reports that an off-the-shelf cell therapy built from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) loosened life-limiting skin and organ scarring in a woman with systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis progressively suffocates tissue through immune misfires, collapsed micro-vessels, and runaway collagen conditions that resist standard immunosuppressants, biologics, and anti-fibrotic drugs while driving a 40% 10-year mortality.

Cell-based approaches such as hematopoietic-stem-cell transplants and CAR-T therapies have shown promise but carry high toxicity or labor-intensive custom manufacturing, leaving clinicians and patients in search of safe...

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Autonomous gallbladder removal: Robot performs first realistic surgery without human help

Robot performs 1st realistic surgery without human help
The robot used with the Surgical Robot Transformer-Hierarchy to perform gallbladder surgery. Credit: XinHao Chen/Johns Hopkins University

A robot trained on videos of surgeries performed a lengthy phase of a gallbladder removal without human help. The robot operated for the first time on a lifelike patient, and during the operation, responded to and learned from voice commands from the team—like a novice surgeon working with a mentor.

The robot performed unflappably across trials and with the expertise of a skilled human surgeon, even during unexpected scenarios typical in real-life medical emergencies.

The work, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, is a transformative advancement in surgical robotics, where robots can perform with both mechanical precision and human-li...

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Life on Venus? Probe mission could search Venus clouds for unexplained hydrogen-rich gases

Life on Venus? UK probe could reveal the answer
An artist’s impression of the proposed VERVE mission to Venus the answer whether tiny bacterial lifeforms really do exist in the planet’s clouds. Credit: Danielle Futselaar

The answer to whether tiny bacterial life-forms really do exist in the clouds of Venus could be revealed once and for all by a UK-backed mission.

Over the past five years, researchers have detected the presence of two potential biomarkers—the gases phosphine and ammonia—which on Earth can only be produced by biological activity and industrial processes.

Their existence in the Venusian clouds cannot easily be explained by known atmospheric or geological phenomena, so Cardiff University’s Professor Jane Greaves and her team are plotting a way to get to the bottom of it.

Revealing a new mission concept at ...

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Running injuries often strike suddenly, not gradually: Study challenges understanding of overuse injuries

running
Credit: RF._.studio _ from Pexels

A new study from Aarhus University turns our understanding of how running injuries occur upside down. The research project, which is the largest of its kind ever conducted, shows that running-related overuse injuries do not develop gradually over time, as previously assumed, but rather suddenly—often during a single training session. The research is published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

“Our study marks a paradigm shift in understanding the causes of running-related overuse injuries. We previously believed that injuries develop gradually over time, but it turns out that many injuries occur because runners make training errors in a single training session,” explains Associate Professor Rasmus Ø...

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