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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

'Holiday mode': Why our green habits vanish on vacation

Tourists tend to act less environmentally responsible while on vacation due to a shift into a "vacation place identity," which reduces feelings of accountability for sustainable behavior. This identity switch occurs even though core environmental values remain unchanged, leading to increased waste and less conservation compared to behavior at home. Subtle prompts evoking home routines before travel may encourage more sustainable actions.

Dorine von Briel et al, Does activating home place identity on vacation have the potential to alter environmentally significant tourist behaviour?, Tourism Management (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105321

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

Researchers unveil simpler, faster way to make vaccines

A new vaccine development platform enables rapid, low-cost production using inactivated bacteria engineered with synthetic DNA, bypassing the cold storage and complexity of mRNA vaccines. The method yields shelf-stable vaccines suitable for global distribution and can generate candidates for testing within three weeks. Early trials show strong immune responses, with up to eightfold improvement over initial versions.

Juan Sebastian Quintero-Barbosa et al, Engineering Enhanced Immunogenicity of Surface-Displayed Immunogens in a Killed Whole-Cell Genome-Reduced Bacterial Vaccine Platform Using Class I Viral Fusion Peptides, Vaccines (2025). DOI: 10.3390/vaccines14010014

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

Fecal transplant capsules show promising results in clinical trials for multiple types of cancer

Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) can dramatically improve cancer treatment, suggest two groundbreaking studies published in the Nature Medicine journal. The first study shows that the toxic side effects of drugs to treat kidney cancer could be eliminated with FMT. The second study suggests FMT is effective in improving the response to immunotherapy in patients with lung cancer and melanoma.

Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) capsules have been shown to reduce toxic side effects of immunotherapy in kidney cancer and significantly improve response rates in lung cancer and melanoma. Clinical trials indicate FMT is safe and may enhance treatment efficacy, with response rates rising to 80% in lung cancer and 75% in melanoma, compared to standard immunotherapy alone.

Fernandes, R., Jabbarizadeh, B., Rajeh, A. et al. Fecal microbiota transplantation plus immunotherapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: the phase 1 PERFORM trial. Nature Medicine (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-04183-8

Duttagupta, S., Messaoudene, M., Hunter, S. et al. Fecal microbiota transplantation plus immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma: the phase 2 FMT-LUMINate trial. Nature Medicine (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-04186-5

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

The two viruses that can become the next public health threats according to scientists

Influenza D virus and canine coronavirus, both originating from animals, have shown potential to infect humans and may pose future public health threats. Influenza D has been detected in livestock workers and can evolve for human transmission, while canine coronavirus has caused rare human respiratory infections and is circulating internationally. Enhanced surveillance and diagnostics are needed to mitigate outbreak risks.

Gregory C. Gray et al, Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats from Influenza D and Canine Coronavirus HuPn-2018, Emerging Infectious Diseases (2026). DOI: 10.3201/eid3201.251764

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

Genes influence the microbes in our mouths to shape dental health

No matter how much they brush their teeth, some people still get more cavities than others, in part because of differences in genetics and the make-up of the microbes in their mouths. A new study has found human genetic factors that influence the oral microbiome and may increase risk of cavities and tooth loss in some people.

The abundance of many bacterial species in our mouths is strongly influenced by human genetics. We know that the microbial environment in one person's mouth is going to be quite different from another person's mouth due to many factors, but genetics is a pretty strong one.
Human genetic variation significantly influences the composition of the oral microbiome, affecting susceptibility to cavities and tooth loss. Specific genes, such as AMY1 and FUT2, are linked to changes in the abundance of numerous oral bacterial species. These genome-to-genome interactions shape oral health outcomes, with AMY1 copy number correlating with increased risk of tooth decay and denture use.

The study, led by scientists at the Broad Institute and Mass General Brigham, found a surprisingly large effect of human genetics on the abundance of microbes in the mouth. The researchers discovered genome-to-genome interactions between human DNA and the DNA of the oral microbiome. For example, they found that a human gene, AMY1, was strongly linked to the composition of the oral microbial community, and even to denture use, suggesting that the relationship between this gene and the bacteria in the mouth plays a role in oral health.

The paper, published in Nature, is an analysis of the largest collection of oral microbiome profiles to date.

To find human-microbiota associations, the team analyzed whole-genome sequences from saliva-derived DNA from more than 12,500 individuals. Typically, the microbial DNA in human samples is tossed aside, but the team found a new purpose for the bacterial data sequenced together with each human genome. They measured the abundances of 439 common microbial species, and found 11 regions of the human genome associated with differences in the levels of dozens of species of bacteria in the mouth.

They also found that the same 11 human loci influence natural selection on dozens of different bacterial genes, so it seems like there's a lot of interaction between human genetics and the oral microbiome,

Notably, the scientists found the strongest relationship between a genetic variant that breaks the FUT2 gene—which has previously been linked to gut microbiome composition—and the levels of 58 oral bacterial species.

Nolan Kamitaki, Human and bacterial genetic variation shape oral microbiomes and health, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-10037-7. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-10037-7

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

What causes chronic pain? New study identifies key culprit in the brain

About one in four adults have chronic pain and nearly one in 10 people say chronic pain interferes with their daily life and work.

Those with nerve-related pain often suffer from a condition called allodynia, an extreme sensitivity in which even light touch hurts.

Acute and chronic pain work differently. Acute pain serves as a temporary warning sign, initiated when an injured tissue—like a stubbed toe—sends a signal to the spinal cord and onward to the brain's pain center. Chronic pain is more like a false alarm, in which pain signals persist in the brain for weeks, months or years after the initial tissue injury has healed.

Earlier work suggested that the CGIC—a sugar-cube-sized cluster of cells hidden deep within the folds of a portion of the human brain called the insula—plays an important role in allodynia. Human studies have also shown that chronic pain patients have an overactive CGIC.

A neural circuit hidden in an understudied region of the brain plays a critical role in turning temporary pain into pain that can last months or years, according to new  research.

The animal study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, found that silencing this pathway, known as the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC), can prevent or halt chronic pain.

The researchers discovered that while the CGIC plays a minimal role in processing acute pain, it plays a vital role in making pain persist.

According to the study, the CGIC signals the brain's pain processing center, or somatosensory cortex, which in turn tells the spinal cord to keep the pain going.

When the team turned off cells within this pathway immediately after injury, the rat's pain from injury was short-lived. In animals already experiencing chronic allodynia, disabling this pathway made the pain cease.

Now that scientists have access to tools that allow you to manipulate the brain, not based just on a general region but on specific sub-populations of cells, the quest for new treatments is moving much faster.

Jayson B. Ball et al, Caudal Granular Insular Cortex to Somatosensory Cortex I: A critical pathway for the transition of acute to chronic pain, The Journal of Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1306-25.2025

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

No more jet lag! Scientists discover oral compound that helps 'reset' the body clock forward

A  research team has discovered a new compound that can advance the body's internal clock—offering hope for faster recovery from jet lag and better adaptation to night-shift work. The compound, called Mic-628, specifically activates the transcription of a clock gene named Period1 (Per1). When given orally to mice, it advanced their body clocks and activity rhythms, regardless of dosing time.

Mathematical modeling revealed that the compound's stable and unidirectional phase-advancing effect is mediated by a negative auto-regulatory feedback of the PER1 protein itself.

Adapting to eastward travel, such as west-to-east transmeridian flights, or to night-shift work requires advancing the internal clock, a process that normally takes longer and is physiologically harder than delaying it.

Existing methods, such as light therapy or melatonin, are heavily constrained by timing and often yield inconsistent results. Mic-628's consistent phase-advance effect, regardless of when it is administered, represents a new pharmacological strategy for resetting the circadian clock.

The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest a new approach to controlling circadian rhythms through drug action rather than light exposure.

The researchers plan to investigate the safety and efficacy of Mic-628 in further animal and human studies. Because it reproducibly advances the body clock through a well-defined molecular mechanism, Mic-628 may serve as a prototype "smart drug" for managing jet lag, shift work-related sleep problems, and other circadian misalignment disorders.

Yoshifumi Takahata et al, A Period1 inducer specifically advances circadian clock in mice, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2509943123

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

Scientists grow specialized nerve cells that degenerate in ALS and are damaged in spinal cord injury
A method has been developed to direct cortical progenitor cells, specifically SOX6+/NG2+ cells, to differentiate into corticospinal-like neurons in vitro. These lab-grown neurons exhibit key molecular and functional features of native corticospinal neurons, which are affected in ALS and spinal cord injury, providing a foundation for future disease modelling and regenerative research.

Directed differentiation of functional corticospinal-like neurons from endogenous SOX6+/NG2+ cortical progenitors, eLife (2026). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.100340.3

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 4 hours ago

Fast-growing trees are taking over the forests of the future and putting biodiversity, climate resilience under pressure
Forests are increasingly dominated by fast-growing tree species, while slow-growing, specialized species face heightened risk of extinction, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. This shift leads to reduced biodiversity, ecosystem homogenization, and diminished climate resilience, as fast-growing trees are less stable and store less carbon long-term. Human activities are the main drivers of these changes.

Guo, WY., et al. Global functional shifts in trees driven by alien naturalization and native extinction, Nature Plants (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-025-02207-2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 4 hours ago

Environmental trade-offs of biodegradable plastics revealed
Replacing conventional plastics with biodegradable alternatives could reduce ecotoxicity by up to 34% and global waste accumulation by up to 65% by 2050, provided proper waste management systems like industrial composting are in place. Without such infrastructure, greenhouse gas emissions could double. Biodegradable plastics also increase water use, highlighting the need for improved disposal systems and labeling.

Zhengyin Piao et al, The role of biodegradable plastics in the global plastic future, Nature Reviews Clean Technology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s44359-025-00142-1

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