Comment

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 15 hours ago

The oldest animal keeps its eyes sharp
Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) can live to be up to 400 years old, making them the longest-lived vertebrate. They dwell in the almost-sunless waters of the Arctic deep sea, and are often infested with parasites that attach to their eyes, leading scientists to suppose that the animals might be functionally blind. But researchers who studied the sharks’ eyeball in the lab say that it’s quite the contrary: the sharks appear to maintain their vision over centuries with no signs of retinal degeneration — perhaps thanks to a DNA repair mechanism in the retina — and could offer clues to treating age-related vision loss in people.

The visual system of the longest-living vertebrate, the Greenland s...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 15 hours ago

Millions of Your Mother's Cells Persist Inside You

Every human born on this planet is not entirely themselves.

A tiny fraction of our cells – around one in a million – is actually not our own, but comes from our mothers. That means each of us has millions of cells that our immune systems would normally recognize as foreign; yet somehow, in most of us, they hang around peacefully without causing any immune problems.

It's called microchimerism, and it goes both ways: every human who has ever been pregnant retains cells from their fetus, and every human retains cells from their mother.

Now, immunologists have figured out why. A small number of maternal immune cells that cross the placenta during pregnancy actively train the fetus's immune system to tolerate the mother's cells for their entire life.

Micro chimerism is increasingly linked with so many health disorders. This study provides an adaptable platform for scientists to investigate whether these rare cells are the cause of disease, or alternatively, found in diseased tissue at increased levels as part of the natural healing process.

Tolerance to non-inherited maternal antigen is sustained by LysM+ C...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 15 hours ago

Young cancer survivors may face faster aging and possible early-onset dementia

Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors exhibit accelerated aging at both cellular and brain function levels, regardless of treatment type, with chemotherapy contributing most to this effect. Increased biological age correlates with cognitive deficits such as impaired memory and attention. Lifestyle changes like exercise and improved nutrition may help reverse some aging effects.

AnnaLynn M. Williams et al, Epigenetic age acceleration, telomere length, and neurocognitive function in long-term survivors of childhood cancer, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65664-5

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 15 hours ago

Your genes determine how fast your DNA mutates with age, study shows

Analysis of genetic data from over 900,000 individuals shows that common DNA repeats in blood cells expand with age, with inherited variants at 29 genetic locations modifying expansion rates by up to four-fold. Some DNA repair genes have opposite effects on different repeats. Expansion in the GLS gene is linked to increased risk of kidney and liver disease, highlighting new potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

An analysis of genetic data from over 900,000 people shows that certain stretches of DNA, made up of short sequences repeated over and over, become longer and more unstable as we age. The study found that common genetic variants can speed up or slow down this process by up to four-fold, and that certain expanded sequences are linked to serious diseases including kidney failure and liver disease.

More than 60 inherited disorders are caused by expanded DNA repeats: repetitive genetic sequences that grow longer over time. These include devastating conditions like Huntington's disease, myotonic dystrophy, and certain forms of ALS.

Most people carry DNA repeats that gradually expand throughout their lives.

This study demonstrates that DNA repeat expansion is far more widespread than previously recognized and identifies dozens of genes that regulate this process, opening new avenues for developing treatments that could slow disease progression.

Margaux Hujoel, Insights into DNA repeat expansions among 900,000 biobank participants, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09886-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09886-z

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 15 hours ago

Eating more food preservatives linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes

Higher intake of food preservatives, including both non-antioxidant and antioxidant additives, is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, with incidence rates rising by 47%, 49%, and 40% respectively for higher consumption groups. Twelve commonly used preservatives, such as potassium sorbate (E202) and citric acid (E330), showed significant associations with elevated diabetes risk.

Higher consumption of food preservatives, widely used in industrially processed foods and beverages to extend their shelf life, has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Preservatives belong to the family of food additives and are widely used by the food industry worldwide. Of the three and a half million foods and beverages listed in the Open Food Facts World database in 2024, more than 700,000 contain at least one of these substances.

Additives with preservative properties have been grouped into two categories in the work carried out by Inserm researchers: non-antioxidants (which inhibit microbial growth or slow down the chemical changes that lead to food spoilage) and antioxidants (which delay or prevent food spoilage by eliminating or limiting oxygen levels in packaging).

On packaging, they generally correspond to European codes between E200 and E299 (for preservatives in the strict sense) and between E300 and E399 (for antioxidant additives).

Experimental studies have suggested that certain preservatives may damage cells and DNA and have adverse effects on metabolism.

A research team set out to examine the links between exposure to these preservatives and type 2 diabetes. The team drew on data provided by more than 100,000 French adults.

Analyses of data showed higher consumption of preservative additives overall, non-antioxidant preservatives and antioxidant additives was associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, by 47%, 49% and 40% respectively, compared to the lowest levels of consumption.

Of the 17 preservatives studied individually, higher consumption of 12 of them was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes: widely used non-antioxidant food preservatives (potassium sorbate (E202), potassium metabisulfite (E224), sodium nitrite (E250), acetic acid (E260), sodium acetates (E262) and calcium propionate (E282)) and antioxidant additives (sodium ascorbate (E301), alpha-tocopherol (E307), sodium erythorbate (E316), citric acid (E330), phosphoric acid (E338) and rosemary extracts (E392)).

This is the first study in the world on the links between preservative additives and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Although the results need to be confirmed, they are consistent with experimental data suggesting the harmful effects of several of these compounds.

Associations between preservative food additives and type 2 diabetes incidence in the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-67360-w

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 16 hours ago

Dark matter and neutrinos may interact, challenging standard model of the universe

Scientists are a step closer to solving one of the universe's biggest mysteries as new research finds evidence that two of its least understood components may be interacting, offering a rare window into the darkest recesses of the cosmos.

The  findings relate to the relationship between dark matter, the mysterious, invisible substance that makes up about 85% of the matter in the universe, and neutrinos, one of the most fundamental and elusive subatomic particles. Scientists have overwhelming indirect evidence for the existence of dark matter, while neutrinos, though invisible and with an extremely small mass, have been observed using huge underground detectors.

The standard model of cosmology (Lambda-CDM), with its origins in Einstein's general theory of relativity, posits that dark matter and neutrinos exist independently and do not interact with one another.

New new research published in Nature Astronomy casts doubt on this theory, challenging the long-standing cosmological model. The research detects signs that these elusive cosmic components may interact, offering a rare glimpse into parts of the universe we can't see or easily detect.

By combining data from different eras, scientists have found evidence of interactions between dark matter and neutrinos that could have affected the way cosmic structures, such as galaxies, formed over time.

Data regarding the early universe comes from two main sources: the highly sensitive ground-based Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), and the Planck Telescope, a space observatory operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) from 2009 to 2013. Both instruments were specifically designed to study the faint afterglow of the Big Bang.

Lei Zu et al, A solution to the S₈ tension through neutrino–dark matter interactions, Nature Astronomy (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-025-02733-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 17 hours ago

Oil residues can travel over 5,000 miles on ocean debris, study finds

Oil residues can adhere to ocean debris such as plastic, glass, and rubber, enabling them to travel over 5,200 miles across the Atlantic. Chemical analyses and ocean current modeling linked oily debris found in Florida to a 2019 oil spill off Brazil, demonstrating that plastics can act as long-distance carriers for oil pollution, extending the environmental impact of oil spills.

"Long-Range Transport of Oil by Marine Plastic Debris: Evidence from an 8500 km Journey," Environmental Science & Technology (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c14571

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 17 hours ago

Restoring mitochondria shows promise for treating chronic nerve pain

For millions living with nerve pain, even a light touch can feel unbearable. Scientists have long suspected that damaged nerve cells falter because their energy factories known as mitochondria don't function properly.

Now, research published in Nature suggests a way forward: supplying healthy mitochondria to struggling nerve cells.

Using human tissue and mouse models, researchers found that replenishing mitochondria significantly reduced pain tied to diabetic neuropathy and chemotherapy-induced nerve damage. In some cases, the relief lasted up to 48 hours. By giving damaged nerves fresh mitochondria—or helping them make more of their own—we can reduce inflammation and support healing, say the scientists. Their findings build on growing evidence that cells can swap mitochondria, a process that scientists are beginning to recognize as a built-in support system that may affect many conditions including obesity, cancer, stroke, and chronic pain.

When this mitochondrial handoff is disrupted, nerve fibers begin to degenerate—triggering pain, tingling and numbness, often in the hands and feet, the distal ends of the nerve fibers.

By sharing energy reserves, satellite glial cells may help keep neurons out of pain.

When this energy transfer was boosted, pain behaviors in mice dropped by as much as 50%, the study showed.

Researchers also tried a more direct approach. Injecting isolated mitochondria—whether from humans or mice—directly into the dorsal root ganglia, a cluster of nerve cells that send messages to the brain, produced similar results, but only when the donor mitochondria were healthy; samples from people with diabetes had no effect.

The team also identified a protein, MYO10, as essential for forming the nanotubes that enable the mitochondrial transfer.

Instead of masking symptoms, the approach could fix what the team sees as the root problem—restoring the energy flow that keeps nerve cells healthy and resilient.

Ru-Rong Ji, Mitochondrial transfer from glia to neurons protects against peripheral neuropathy, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09896-x. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09896-x

The work highlights a previously undocumented role for satellite glial cells, which appear to deliver mitochondria to sensory neurons through tiny channels called tunneling nanotubes.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday

Jellyfish don’t need brains to sleep!

Jellyfish sleep like humans — even though they don’t have brains

Studying ancient sea creatures’ snoozing habits could shed light on the origins of sleep.

Jellyfish and sea anemones have neurons, but no brains — and yet they still seem to sleep in ways strikingly similar to humans. The findings bolster a theory that sleep evolved — before centralized nervous systems — to repair DNA damage that builds up in individual nerve cells while animals are awake. Neurons are very precious. They don’t divide, so you need to keep them intact.

The findings bolster a theory that sleep evolved, at least in part, to protect the DNA in individual nerve cells, helping to repair damage that builds up while animals are awake.

Sleep is a risky state for animals. It leaves them vulnerable to predators and environmental hazards, and it cuts into time that could otherwise be spent foraging, mating or caring for offspring. Scientists broadly agree that sleep must serve a fundamental biological function, because evolution has preserved it across all animals with nervous systems studied so far.

These results suggest that DNA damage and cellular stress in simple nerve nets may have driven the evolution of sleep.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67400-5

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00044-7?utm_source=Live+...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday

Diet may influence tinnitus risk in women

Diet may influence the risk of women developing tinnitus, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Higher fruit intake is associated with reduced risk of developing persistent tinnitus in women, while greater consumption of whole grains, legumes, and sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to increased risk. Overall healthy diet patterns did not consistently affect tinnitus risk. These associations remained after accounting for lifetime noise exposure.

This study provides compelling evidence that dietary intake can influence the development of persistent tinnitus.

Sharon G Curhan et al, Longitudinal Study of Dietary Intake and Risk of Persistent Tinnitus in Two Large Independent Cohorts of Women, American Journal of Epidemiology (2025). DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaf277

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• …
• 1169
• Next ›
• Page