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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 21, 2026 at 10:16am

Microbes make microplastics more likely to form ice in clouds, research reveals

Microplastics coated with microbial biofilms significantly increase the temperature at which ice forms in clouds by about 6.5 °C, enhancing ice nucleation more than microbes or plastics alone. This effect could alter cloud formation, precipitation patterns, and climate by changing how clouds interact with sunlight and heat, highlighting an unexpected link between plastic pollution and atmospheric processes.

Tiny pieces of plastic, called microplastics, are showing up everywhere, even in the water in clouds, rain, and snow—and they may be affecting our weather and temperatures. A study published in Environmental Science & Technology  found that microbes living on microplastics dramatically boost their ability to trigger ice formation in clouds.

In laboratory experiments, the microbial coating increased the temperature at which ice formed by about 6.5 degrees Celsius—a major shift in cloud physics.

To understand this effect, the researchers recreated what happens in nature. They placed microscopic plastic particles in controlled laboratory conditions and allowed naturally occurring bacteria to attach and grow on their surfaces. Over several days, the microbes formed a thin layer called a biofilm—a sticky coating that helps microbes anchor themselves and survive.

Team members then tested how easily these particles could trigger freezing using a specialized set up that slowly cooled tiny droplets of water containing microplastics. By monitoring when each droplet froze, they could measure how effective the particles were at initiating ice formation.

The results revealed something especially surprising. Microbes attached to microplastics were even more effective at forming ice than the same microbes floating freely in water. In other words, the plastic surface enhanced the microbes' ice-making ability.

This suggests that microplastics don't just carry microbes through the atmosphere—they help amplify their environmental effects, highlighting a surprising link between human pollution and natural systems.

Lingzhi Chu et al, Finer Particulate Matter Exposure Disparities Exist but Vary across Pollution Concentrations, Environmental Science & Technology (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c06203

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 21, 2026 at 10:11am

An immune signaling pathway drives pain in arthritis, researchers discover

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This disease prompts the immune system to mistakenly attack body tissues, particularly joints, leading to inflammation, swelling, stiffness and pain.

While arthritis has been widely studied, the molecular processes underpinning the pain experienced by most affected individuals remain poorly understood. Physical pain is known to be experienced via sensory neurons, specialized cells that carry signals from body tissues to the brain.

Researchers 

 recently studied a mouse model of arthritis with the aim of better understanding how the activity of immune cells influences nerve cells, potentially contributing to the pain experienced by patients with arthritis.

Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, uncovered a sequence of chemical reactions that occur inside nerve cells when they receive signals from immune cells (i.e., a signaling pathway) that could drive the pain linked to arthritis.

In their experiments, the researchers induced arthritis-like symptoms in mice using cartilage autoantibodies, proteins that are generally produced by the immune system that attack joint tissues. They then examined nerve cells located along the mice's spinal nerves outside of their spinal cord, in a region known as the dorsal root ganglion.

Cells in this region transmit sensory information, including painful sensations, from the body to the central nervous system (CNS). The team observed these cells as damage to the animal's joints progressed and became more pronounced.

These experimental strategies combined showed convincingly that interferon signalling drives pain in arthritis in the animal model.

During early stages of the arthritis they induced in mice, the team observed an increased activation of immune cells located close to sensory nerves. They also found that immune cells released large amounts of cytokines (i.e., signaling proteins via which immune cells communicate), leading to a severe inflammatory response known as a cytokine storm.

Throughout the course of the disease, they also observed high levels of interferons, proteins that help the immune system to fight viruses and other diseases. Notably, a similar presence of interferons was also detected in patients diagnosed with arthritis.

The researchers' experiments led to the discovery of a signaling pathway via which pain-sensing neurons become excessively active. By blocking this pathway with pharmacological drugs, the team was able to improve limb function and lower the pain experienced by mice.

Jie Su et al, Persistent interferon signaling causes sensory neuron plasticity and pain before and during arthritis, Nature Neuroscience (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-026-02234-y.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 21, 2026 at 10:06am

Stress-activated pathway reveals how nervous system contributes to eczema flare-ups

The mystery of how stress exacerbates atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, may be closer to being understood. A new study published in the journal Science has identified a specific nerve pathway that helps explain the link.

Eczema is a chronic condition that causes dry, itchy skin. It is common in children but can occur at any age, often triggered by environmental irritants, genetic factors, or an overactive immune system. And stress has long been known to make it worse.

To discover exactly how anxious feelings contribute to the intense itching and skin redness characteristic of eczema, researchers studied both human patients and specialized mouse models.

First, they conducted a retrospective analysis of 51 patients who were already diagnosed with eczema. They asked them to complete a questionnaire that categorized their stress levels, measured the intensity and extent of the condition, and took blood samples and biopsies to count different types of immune cells.

They discovered that the higher a person's stress levels, the more eosinophils (a type of white blood cell that triggers and contributes to inflammation and itching) they had, and the worse their eczema was.

To determine whether stress was the cause of these flare-ups, the research team studied mice with eczema like skin and exposed them to various stressful situations, such as being placed on a high platform. Just like human patients, there was a significant increase in eosinophils and more severe skin damage.

Next, the scientists genetically engineered mice to have fewer eosinophils or to lack a specific subset of sympathetic nerve cells known as Pdyn+ neurons that are activated by stress.

Unlike other sympathetic nerves, these connect directly to the skin. When either eosinophils or stress nerves were absent, stress no longer worsened the inflammation. This confirmed that both must be present for a stress-induced flare-up to happen.

Using advanced mapping techniques, the researchers discovered that these nerves sent a direct signal to call inflammatory cells to the skin's surface during stressful moments. Specifically, neurons release a protein called CCL11 that attracts eosinophils to the inflamed skin tissue where an eczema flare-up is occurring.

Once there, the nerves release another signal that triggers these cells to release proteins that cause the skin to become red and swollen.

"These findings reveal a neuroimmunological mechanism underlying psychological stress–induced exacerbation of dermatitis, emphasizing the Pdyn+ sympathetic-eosinophil axis as a crucial interface between the brain and skin inflammation, with potential therapeutic implications," commented the study authors in their paper.

Jiahe Tian et al, A sympathetic-eosinophil axis orchestrates psychological stress to exacerbate skin inflammation, Science (2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.adv5974

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 21, 2026 at 9:40am

Fuel Revolution: Pune’s NCL Scientists Develop DME as a Clean, Indigenous Alternative to LPG

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 20, 2026 at 12:03pm

Ultra-processed foods linked to infertility in US women

Higher intake of ultra-processed foods is associated with lower odds of fertility in US women, independent of age, weight, and lifestyle factors. Women reporting infertility consumed more ultra-processed foods and adhered less to the Mediterranean diet. Chemical exposures from processed foods, such as phthalates and BPA, may contribute to this association.

Angelina Baric et al, Ultra-processed food intake and Mediterranean diet adherence in relation to fertility status in U.S. women: Findings from NHANES 2013–2018, Nutrition and Health (2026). DOI: 10.1177/02601060261433154

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 20, 2026 at 11:53am

Newly-discovered dopamine signal may help the brain steer us in the right direction
A distinct dopamine signal in the striatum encodes trajectory errors, indicating whether movement is directed toward or away from a goal, independent of classic reward-related dopamine responses. This guidance signal, triggered by visual cues and scaling with movement speed, operates alongside value signals in orthogonal spatial gradients, supporting real-time behavioural adjustments.

A Boston University-led research team has discovered a dopamine signal in the brain that helps determine whether you are moving toward or away from a goal, potentially shedding new light on how the brain uses visual information to guide behaviour
.The work shows that when mice encounter visual cues, dopamine in the striatum, located in the basal ganglia, encodes "trajectory errors," or signals that indicate whether the mice's current direction and speed are carrying them toward or away from its goal. These "guidance signals" operate independently from dopamine's classic reward value responses and arise from different sensory and motor inputs.

The findings offer insight into how the brain uses environmental cues to steer behavior and could inform the development of more targeted therapies for conditions involving dopamine dysfunction, including Parkinson's disease, addiction, OCD, and ADHD.
This discovery reveals that dopamine isn't just about how valuable something is.
It's also about whether you're headed the right way. It's a guidance signal, one that tells the brain to keep going or make a correction.

Eleanor H. Brown et al, Striatum-wide dopamine encodes trajectory errors separated from value, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-10083-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 19, 2026 at 11:13am

Space supercharges anti-bacterial viruses

Viruses that infect bacteria, called phages, evolve different strategies to infect their targets on the International Space Station than they do on the ground, which could help create new treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections. Researchers found that the phages took longer to infect E.coli in microgravity, and that the viruses developed microgravity-specific mutations, some of which helped them to better cling onto bacterial receptors. Once they returned to earth, they were able to kill stubborn strains of E.coli responsible for urinary tract infections that tend to be resistant to bacteriophages.

https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pb...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 19, 2026 at 10:49am

Vaccines facing misinformation spike: WHO experts
Vaccine programs are increasingly threatened by misinformation, uncertain research funding, and global conflicts, which undermine public trust and disrupt immunization efforts. Ongoing polio transmission in conflict zones and limited COVID-19 vaccine options highlight the need for sustained investment and improved vaccines. WHO emphasizes that vaccines do not cause autism and remain essential for disease prevention.
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Vaccine programs are being challenged by rising misinformation and an uncertain pipeline for research funding, the World Health Organization's immunization experts say.
And the war in the Middle East will likely hamper the fight against polio, the WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) said.

The group held its biannual meeting last week, focusing on COVID-19 jab recommendations, typhoid vaccine dosing schedules and oral polio vaccine doses in routine immunization.

"Emerging challenges for the future include uncertain funding for vaccine research and development, and misinformation and distorted information that erodes public trust in vaccines," said SAGE.

"Protecting trust and countering misinformation will be a central focus in 2026."
Trust in vaccines is being "threatened by misinformation.
Vaccines had saved 154 million lives over the past 50 years, and more than 30 diseases could be prevented through immunization, according to WHO.
The risk is about backsliding, or even countries deciding that they can't afford all of the vaccines that are in their program
Source: News agencies

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 19, 2026 at 10:30am

What is 'eye stroke' and why has it been linked to weight loss injections?

Eye stroke, or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (Naion), involves sudden vision loss due to reduced blood flow to the optic nerve. Recent data indicate a rare but increased risk of Naion with the weight-loss injection Wegovy (semaglutide), especially in men. The risk appears higher with injectable forms and higher doses, though the overall incidence remains very low.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 19, 2026 at 10:25am

A single injection of the dual-particle system cleared all detectable cancer in nearly all the mice within two weeks. The engineered CAR-T cells made up as much as 40% of immune cells in some organs and successfully eliminated cancer from both the bone marrow and spleen.

The approach also worked against multiple myeloma and, strikingly, against a solid sarcoma tumor. Solid tumors have historically resisted CAR-T therapy, making this result particularly significant.

The T cells engineered inside the body also unexpectedly appeared to outperform those manufactured in the lab.
The technology still must be scaled up for use in humans, and clinical trials will be needed to assess safety and efficacy.

Justin Eyquem, In vivo site-specific engineering to reprogram T cells, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10235-x. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10235-x

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