Microplastics pass through earthworms without accumulating in body tissues, study shows
Microplastics ingested by earthworms remain confined to the gut and do not accumulate in internal tissues. Earthworms rapidly eliminate these particles when moved to clean soil, indicating minimal risk of tissue retention. High-resolution imaging confirmed the absence of microplastic translocation beyond the digestive tract. Further research is needed to assess implications for other organisms and humans.

Nicholas V Letwin et al, Assessing the accumulation of microplastics in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) using traditional bioaccumulation modeling and synchrotron-based microcomputed tomography, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (2026). DOI: 10.1093/etojnl/vgag072

Masculine behavior bad for the planet says new research

Major new research on climate change, global warming and environmental collapse, how they connect with what men do, and what to do about it has just been published by a research team.
Men generally exhibit higher carbon footprints and environmental impacts, particularly through consumption, travel, and involvement in high-impact industries. They show less concern for climate change and are less likely to support or engage in environmental politics. These patterns are most pronounced among elite men in the global North, though some men actively work to counteract these trends.
The team's findings
Men tend to have a greater carbon footprint and greater environmental impact through consumption, especially travel, transportation, and tourism
Men tend to have less concern with climate change, and less willingness to change everyday practices to ameliorate it
Men tend to be less ambitious and less active in environmental politics, and less supportive of political parties that work for environmental justice
Men tend to be more involved in owning, managing, controlling heavy, chemical, carbon-based, industrialized agriculture, high environmental impact and extractive industries, and of course militarism, with its own devastating environmental effects
These damaging patterns apply especially to elite men in the global North
But some men are working urgently and energetically to change these tendencies.

Kadri Aavik et al, Men, masculinities, and the planet at the end of (M)Anthropocene: ecological/social/economic/political relations, processes and consequences, NORMA (2025). DOI: 10.1080/18902138.2025.2576458

Early-life chemical exposure may leave extra X and Y chromosomes in sperm

An estimated 7% of all men are affected by infertility. Multiple animal studies indicate that exposure to persistent environmental chemicals in early life can negatively impact male reproductive health, and now a human study suggests the same.
Prenatal and early-life exposure to organochlorines (PCBs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFASs) is associated with increased sperm aneuploidy, specifically extra X and Y chromosomes, in adult men. Elevated PCB levels correlated mainly with additional Y chromosomes, while PFAS exposure was linked to both extra X and Y chromosomes, indicating enduring impacts on sperm genetic integrity.
Normal sperm contain either an X (i.e., the designated chromosome for females) or Y (i.e., the one present in males) chromosome. PCB concentration in blood samples was associated mainly with having an additional Y chromosome, while PFAS exposure was consistently associated with both extra Y and X chromosomes.

Researchers theorize that PCB exposure could be from a maternal diet of contaminated seafood. PFAS exposure was likely due to environmental pollutants in food, water, and air.

Melissa J. Perry et al, In utero and childhood exposure to organochlorines and perfluorinated chemicals in relation to sperm aneuploidy in adulthood, Environmental Health (2026). DOI: 10.1186/s12940-026-01303-w

Both very low and very high heart rates are significantly associated with stroke risk, study finds

A study presented at the European Stroke Organization Conference (ESOC) 2026 suggests that both very low and very high resting heart rates are linked with an increased risk of stroke. As the largest population-level study to examine this relationship, the findings challenge the assumption that lower heart rates are always a sign of good cardiovascular fitness and carry no risk.
Both very low (<50 bpm) and very high (≥90 bpm) resting heart rates are independently associated with increased stroke risk, forming a U-shaped relationship, with the lowest risk at 60–69 bpm. This association persists after adjusting for major risk factors and is evident only in individuals without atrial fibrillation. Low heart rates are mainly linked to ischemic stroke, while high rates are associated with both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. In an analysis of the UK Biobank, researchers followed 460,000 participants for an average of 14 years, during which 12,290 strokes occurred. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors, including atrial fibrillation—a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat and is a major cause of stroke. Stroke risk was lowest at resting heart rates of 60 to 69 beats per minute (bpm) but increased at both extremes—below 50 bpm and at or above 90 bpm—forming a clear U-shaped pattern. At these extremes, stroke risk was 25% higher in those with very low heart rates and 45% higher in those with very high heart rates. Importantly, in the overall population, this relationship remained after adjustment for established stroke risk factors including hypertension, diabetes and atrial fibrillation, suggesting it reflects a genuine biological signal. However, when participants were analyzed separately, the pattern was only seen in people without atrial fibrillation. In those with the condition, the relationship was not apparent. This is likely because atrial fibrillation is such a strong risk factor for stroke, increasing risk by around fivefold, that it outweighs the contribution of heart rate and limits our ability to detect its effect. Heart rate was therefore most informative in people without atrial fibrillation, where it may provide a valuable additional tool for identifying and stratifying stroke risk. The researchers also explored the potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between heart rate and stroke. Very low heart rates were primarily associated with ischemic stroke. This would be consistent with the hypothesis that very low heart rates could be associated with reduced blood flow to the brain by prolonging the relaxation phase between heartbeats. In contrast, elevated heart rates were associated with both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and may suggest increased stress on blood vessel walls that could contribute to both ischemic injury and a greater predisposition to bleeding.

Penn, D., et al. Reduced and elevated resting heart rates predict risk of stroke, independently of atrial fibrillation: A UK Biobank analysis. Oral presentation. European Stroke Organization Conference (ESOC) 2026.

Light without electricity? Glowing algae could make it possible

Bioluminescent algae Pyrocystis lunula can be chemically stimulated to emit sustained light for up to 25 minutes, especially under acidic conditions. Embedding these algae in hydrogels and 3D-printing them into structures enables long-lasting, controllable luminescence, with algae retaining 75% brightness after four weeks. This approach offers potential for sustainable lighting, environmental sensing, and carbon sequestration.
Researchers exposed the algae to an acidic solution with a pH of 4, similar to that of tomato juice, and a basic solution with a pH of 10, comparable to mild soap.

They found that both environments could trigger light production in P. lunula. In the acidic condition, the algae could stay aglow for as long as 25 minutes, with light appearing bright and concentrated. In the basic condition, the glow was more diffused and short-lived.
To turn these glowing algae into usable materials, the researchers embedded them into a naturally derived hydrogel, a type of water-based gel material. They then used 3D printing to shape the material into structures and shapes, from a crescent pattern to a CU Buffalo logo.

By exposing the structures to the acidic or basic solution, they prompted the P. lunula inside to emit light, illuminating the entire structure in a blue glow.

Inside these printed structures, the algae remained alive for weeks. The acidic condition worked best, with P. lunula in these 3D-printed structures retaining 75% of their brightness even after four weeks.
The findings could have wide applications beyond making eye-catching designs. These living materials could someday help light up autonomous robots for deep-sea or space exploration without the need for batteries.

Chemical Stimulation Sustains Bioluminescence of Living Light Materials, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aee3907

Fewer insects, fewer nutritious crops: Pollinator decline puts human health at risk

Biodiversity loss is directly threatening human health and welfare, according to new research.
It's long been known that insect pollinators are vital for producing many of the fruits, vegetables and pulses that supply essential vitamins and minerals in our diets.

Declines in insect pollinators significantly reduce crop yields, leading to lower intake of essential nutrients such as vitamin A, folate, and vitamin E, and decrease farming income, thereby increasing risks of malnutrition, illness, and poverty among smallholder farmers. Supporting pollinator populations through local actions like planting wildflowers and reducing pesticide use can enhance both nutrition and economic resilience, highlighting the critical link between biodiversity and human health.

Working in ten smallholder farming villages and their surrounding landscapes in Nepal, the study traced the full chain of connections between wild pollinators, crop yields and the nutrients families rely on.

By tracking diets, crop nutrients and the insects visiting those crops over a year, the research team showed how pollinators directly support both nutrition and livelihoods.

The study found insect pollinators are crucial for both the nutrition and income of farming families, and pollinators were responsible for 44% of people's farming income and contributed more than 20% of their intake of vitamin A, folate and vitamin E.

When pollinators decline, families risk poorer nutrition, leading to higher vulnerability to illness and infections, and deeper cycles of poverty and poor health. One quarter of the global population currently suffers from this "hidden hunger."

The research showed there is real potential for positive change—when communities support pollinators, their nutrition and income can improve. Simple steps like planting wildflowers, using fewer pesticides or keeping native bees can help boost pollinator numbers, strengthening both nature and people's well-being.

Thomas Timberlake, Pollinators support the nutrition and income of vulnerable communities, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10421-x. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10421-x

Chronic sunlight exposure can disrupt body clocks in skin

Years of chronic exposure of human skin to sunlight strongly disrupts its body-clock rhythm, according to a pioneering study

Chronic sunlight exposure disrupts the circadian rhythms of human skin, weakening the temporal coordination of gene activity, particularly those involved in DNA repair. Sun-exposed skin shows altered daily gene expression patterns and reduced rhythmicity compared to protected skin, which may contribute to photoaging and impaired skin health. These findings suggest that skin chronobiology is significantly affected by long-term UV exposure.

The findings could explain how ultraviolet (UV) light triggers inflammation and damage in exposed skin, so-called photoaging, which breaks down its supportive structure, altering how its cells behave.

Published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the study could have important implications on skin health and the design of skincare products that takes into account the time of day when they are applied.

The study is the first to directly compare daily rhythms of genes being turned on and off in human skin exposed to and protected from sunlight over half a century.

Almost all organs—including skin—exhibit 24 hourly rhythms which allows the body to anticipate and adapt to changes associated with the light-dark cycle, including daily exposure to solar radiation.

Michael M. Saint-Antoine et al, Comparative circadian transcriptome analysis reveals dampened and phase-advanced rhythms in sun-exposed human skin, Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2026.03.038

Streetlights trigger bizarre 'death spirals' in thousands of isopods, scientists find

A new study  has documented a never-before-seen behavioural phenomenon: thousands of land-dwelling isopods forming massive, synchronized circular processions. This behaviour appears to be an unintended consequence of artificial light at night.

The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, explores how these small creatures, terrestrial relatives of crabs and shrimp, also known as "woodlice" or "pill bugs," abandon their typical solitary lives in sheltered areas to join swirling "mills" that can include over 5,000 individuals in a single group.

To understand what was driving this strange behavior, the team tested several environmental factors, including magnetic fields and different types of light:
Magnetism: Because the Golan Heights has unique magnetic properties, the team placed strong magnets near the isopods to see if it disrupted their pathing. The isopods showed no reaction, maintaining their circular march.
Ultraviolet light: Testing with UV flashlights attracted only a small fraction of the population and failed to trigger any circular movement.
White light: This proved to be the "smoking gun." When a white lamp was placed perpendicular to the ground, it consistently induced the mass circular motion.
The researchers discovered that the geometry of the light is the key. A vertical light beam creates a circular "boundary" of illumination on the ground. The isopods, attracted to the light, begin walking along this photic edge. Once the population density hits a certain threshold, the individual movements turn into a collective, self-sustaining swirl.

part 1

While the sight is mesmerizing, it may be a "trap" caused by human activity. The researchers noted that the sex ratio, mostly females, many of whom were carrying eggs, suggests this isn't a mating ritual. Instead, it appears to be a disruption of their natural instincts caused by artificial light at night (ALAN).

These "isopod mills" may have dire consequences. In one observation, a centipede was seen preying on the distracted, swirling mass. By drawing these creatures out of their natural shelters and trapping them in a loop, light pollution may be making them easy targets for predators and wasting the energy they need for survival.

The study highlights how even small changes in our environment, like the installation of a streetlight, can fundamentally alter the ancient behavioural patterns of the world's smallest inhabitants.

Idan Sheizaf et al, A Novel Light‐Induced Collective Circular Movement in Armadillo sordidus Isopods, Ecology and Evolution (2026). DOI: 10.1002/ece3.73487

Part 2

Crash data reveal women face 60% higher injury risk than men

Women have a 60% higher risk of injury in car accidents compared to men, with the disparity especially pronounced among female passengers and older women. Current vehicle safety systems and test standards, based on male body models, inadequately protect women due to anatomical and biomechanical differences. Recommendations include developing adaptive safety systems, using more realistic human models in testing, and improving occupant education on proper seat and belt positioning.

https://www.bmimi.gv.at/verkehrssicherheit/beratung-foerderung/vsf/...

Ultrasound waves rupture COVID-19 and flu viruses without damaging cells

Researchers have discovered that high-frequency ultrasound waves similar to those used in medical exams can eliminate viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 without damaging human cells. In an article published in Scientific Reports, they describe how the phenomenon, known as acoustic resonance, causes structural changes in viral particles until they rupture and become inactivated.
By degrading the structure of the pathogen, the protective membrane of the virus called the envelope bursts and deforms, preventing the virus from invading human cells

High-frequency ultrasound waves (3–20 MHz) induce acoustic resonance in spherical, enveloped viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1, causing structural rupture and inactivation without damaging human cells. The effect is geometry-dependent and not influenced by viral mutations. This selective mechanism offers a potential antiviral strategy distinct from existing decontamination methods.
Ultrasound-mediated inactivation of enveloped viruses opens up a new treatment possibility for viral diseases.
The discovery surprised the researchers because it contradicts classical physics theories, as the wavelength of ultrasound is much longer than the size of the virus. In theory, this difference in size would prevent interaction.

The phenomenon is entirely geometric. Spherical particles, such as many enveloped viruses, absorb ultrasound wave energy more effectively. It's that accumulation of energy inside the particle that causes changes in the structure of the viral envelope until it ruptures. Therefore, if viruses were triangular or square, they wouldn't undergo the same 'popcorn effect' of acoustic resonance.
Since the process depends strictly on the shape of the viral particle and not on genetic mutations, variants such as those observed during the pandemic (omicron and delta, for example) do not affect the effectiveness of the technique.

Flavio P. Veras et al, Ultrasound effectively destabilizes and disrupts the structural integrity of enveloped respiratory viruses, Scientific Reports (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-37584-x

Naruna E. Rodrigues et al, Trapped Acoustic Energy and Resonances in Spherical Scatterers, Brazilian Journal of Physics (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s13538-026-02020-y

Hidden sex differences may explain why lupus strikes women far more often

Analysis of over 1.25 million immune cells from nearly 1,000 individuals identified more than 1,000 sex-specific genetic switches, primarily on autosomes, that regulate immune cell activity differently in males and females. Females showed higher inflammatory pathway activity, linked to increased autoimmune disease risk, including lupus, while males had more monocytes and less inflammatory priming. These findings highlight the need for sex-specific approaches in autoimmune disease research and treatment.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hidden-sex-differences-lupus...

New study challenges the inevitability of cognitive decline and proves that brain gain is possible at any age

A study recently published in Scientific Reports reveals that cognitive decline is not an inevitable part of aging.
Longitudinal data from nearly 4,000 adults aged 19–94 show that cognitive performance can improve at any age through consistent, targeted brain-healthy practices. Gains were observed across all baseline levels, with the greatest improvements in those starting with lower scores, and no upper limit to brain health optimization was detected. Small, daily interventions correlated with higher brain health scores, and improvements were consistent across age groups, indicating that cognitive decline is not inevitable. Brain health was also shown to be resilient and trainable, even during major life stressors.
Key research findings:

No ceiling for improvement: Significant gains in brain health were observed across the board. Even top-tier performers continued to improve over 1,000 days, suggesting there is no known limit to brain optimization.
The low-starter advantage: Participants who entered the study with the lowest baseline scores demonstrated the most significant rates of improvement, demonstrating that poor brain health is not a life sentence.
Small habit changes make a big difference: Gains were directly correlated with consistency of utilization. Participants who engaged the most in 5 to 15 minutes of daily micro-training and adopted brain-healthy habits in their everyday lives achieved the highest brain health scores.
Universal potential at any age: Younger adults saw gains equal to those in their 70s and 80s, debunking the myth that proactive brain health is only for seniors.

Lori G. Cook et al, Measuring and increasing the brain health span across adulthood: a public health imperative, Scientific Reports (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-51403-3

Cancer cells are better able to resist treatments when they have an abnormal number of chromosomes
Cancer cells with abnormal chromosome numbers (aneuploidy) exhibit reduced levels of PARP1 protein, impairing a cell death pathway triggered by oxidative DNA damage and enhancing resistance to treatment-induced stress. This mechanism enables aneuploid cancer cells to survive and spread more effectively, with metastatic tumors showing lower PARP1 levels than primary tumors.

Pan Cheng et al, PARP1 suppression drives ROS resistance in aneuploid cancer cells, Molecular Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2026.04.006

Evidence review finds aluminum-adjuvant vaccines not tied to autism, asthma or type 1 diabetes

Current evidence does not support direct (causal) associations between aluminum-adjuvant vaccines and serious or long-term health outcomes, including autism, diabetes and asthma, finds a review of the latest data published by The BMJ.
Current evidence from randomized controlled trials and large observational studies shows no causal association between aluminum-adjuvant vaccines and serious or long-term health outcomes, including autism, type 1 diabetes, asthma, or myalgia. The most common adverse reactions are rare, localized, and self-limited injection site nodules or granulomas.
Small amounts of aluminum salts (adjuvants) are commonly used in vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis, HPV, and meningitis to make them more effective and longer-lasting. Yet, despite a decades-long safety record, questions about potential long-term effects continue to arise in scientific and public settings.

To address this, researchers searched scientific databases to identify randomized controlled trials and observational studies published up to 27 November 2025 that assessed health outcomes after exposure to aluminum adjuvants included in vaccines.

They found 59 eligible studies that investigated a range of outcomes including autism, asthma, headache, muscle pain (myalgia), and skin reactions (nodules and granulomas) at the injection site. Studies of investigational vaccines were excluded, as their findings are not directly applicable to existing immunization programs.

The studies were of varying quality, but the researchers were able to assess their risk of bias and certainty of evidence using established tools.

High quality evidence from randomized controlled trials and large observational studies consistently showed no association between aluminum-adjuvanted vaccines and health outcomes, including autism, type 1 diabetes, asthma, and myalgia.
The most consistently documented reactions were persistent nodules or granulomas at the injection site, but they were uncommon, local, and self-limited.

Aluminium adjuvants in vaccines and potential health effects: systematic review, The BMJ (2026). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2025-088921

The 'nostalgia effect': Scientists produce less disruptive work as they age
As scientists age, their work shifts from producing disruptive innovations to creating novel combinations of existing ideas, with a tendency to cite older research. This "nostalgia effect" is transmitted through academic hierarchies, influencing younger researchers and shaping the direction of entire fields and nations. Countries with younger research communities generate more disruptive science, highlighting the importance of balancing continuity with the influx of new ideas.

Haochuan Cui et al, Aging and the narrowing of scientific innovation, Science (2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.ady8732

Anaesthetized people can process words

A deep brain structure called the hippocampus can learn and process language even when a person is under general anaesthesia. A probe that can record the activity of individual neurons in real time detected the region responding to the speech in a podcast and learning how to differentiate different tones. That doesn’t mean anaesthetized people are ‘secretly awake’ — just that this one structure, the hippocampus, computes and integrates information even under anaesthesia.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10448-0?utm_source=Live+...

Plants survived the dinosaur-killing asteroid by duplicating genomes, study suggests

When an asteroid as big as Mount Everest struck Earth 66 million years ago, it wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs and roughly a third of life on the planet. But many plants survived the devastation. In a new study published in Cell, researchers reveal that the accidental duplications of genomes—a natural phenomenon—might have helped many flowering plants survive some of the most extreme environmental upheavals in Earth's history.

This strategy could help plants adapt to the rapid climate changes unfolding today.

Whole-genome duplication is often seen as an evolutionary dead end in stable environments. But in harsh situations, it can provide unexpected advantages.

Most organisms carry two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. But in flowering plants, many species carry additional sets as a result of random whole-genome duplication. For example, most cultivated bananas have three sets of chromosomes while wheat plants can have as many as six, a condition known as polyploidy.
Whole-genome duplication occurs relatively frequently in plants, and it can be costly. Larger genomes require more nutrients to maintain, increase the risk of acquiring harmful mutations, and affect fertility. For these reasons, only a small fraction of duplicated genomes are retained and passed down through generations in the wild.

On the other hand, genome duplications can increase genetic variations, and genes can evolve new functions. These changes may help organisms better tolerate stress such as heat or drought.

Part 1

To understand why some duplicated genomes  persist, researchers analyzed the genomes of 470 species of flowering plants, constructing one of the largest datasets of its kind. They looked for blocks of genes that appear in almost identical pairs—a marker of past whole-genome duplication events. Then, they compared the data with information from 44 plant fossils to estimate when these duplications occurred.

Their analysis revealed a striking pattern. The researchers found that the genes that persist over time tend to originate from whole-genome duplications during major periods of environmental upheaval.

These include the asteroid-triggered mass extinction 66 million years ago, several periods of global cooling when ecosystems collapsed, and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) about 56 million years ago—a period of rapid global warming.

The findings help explain a long-standing puzzle of why polyploidy is common, but only a few persevere in plant genomes over millions of years.
Under these extreme conditions, polyploid plants might have gained an edge. Traits that are normally disadvantageous, such as maintaining a larger and more complex genome, can become beneficial, say the researchers.

The Rise of Polyploids During Environmental Upheaval, Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.04.008. www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(26)00397-1

Part 2

Multiple man-made 'forever chemicals' found in 98.5% of people tested
PFAS, a group of persistent man-made chemicals, were detected in 98.8% of over 10,500 blood samples, with most individuals carrying multiple types. The most common combination included five PFAS, such as PFOS and PFOA, found in 26.1% of samples. These findings underscore widespread, combined PFAS exposure and highlight the need for mixture-based risk assessment.
One of the PFAS most commonly detected in this new study (in 97.9% of samples) was perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (linear PFOA), which is already recognized as being linked to adverse health conditions—including potential impacts on the immune system, liver, and thyroid—prompting action, internationally, for its restriction.

Laura M. Labay et al, PFAS co-positivities identified in more than 10,000 serum/plasma samples, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (2026). DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2025.2601605

This everyday plant protein may be quietly reshaping blood pressure risk in ways doctors cannot ignore
Higher intake of legumes (up to 170 g/day) and soy foods (60–80 g/day) is associated with a 16–19% lower risk of developing high blood pressure, with risk reduction plateauing beyond these amounts. The evidence suggests a probable causal relationship, potentially due to the potassium, magnesium, fiber, and isoflavones in these foods. Variability in study methods and definitions limits certainty, but findings support dietary recommendations to increase legume and soy consumption for blood pressure management.
And the optimal daily amount may be around 170 g of legumes, which include peas, lentils, chickpeas and beans, and 60 to 80 g of soy foods, examples of which include tofu, soy milk, edamame, tempeh, and miso, the findings indicate.

Legume and soy consumption and the risk of hypertension: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies, BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health (2026). DOI: 10.1136/bmjnph-2025-001449

Nearly 3,000 peer-reviewed medical papers have fake citations, AI-assisted audit finds
An AI-assisted audit of 2.5 million biomedical papers identified 4,046 fake citations across 2,810 papers, with the rate of fake references increasing over 12-fold since 2023, particularly after mid-2024. Most affected papers had not received publisher action. Recommendations include mandatory reference verification, enhanced metadata, systematic tracking, and retroactive screening to maintain research integrity.
A new Columbia University School of Nursing AI-assisted audit reveals nearly 3,000 peer-reviewed medical papers have fake citations that do not exist in scientific databases. The results highlight an alarming trend in academic publishing as the use of AI grows.
The research letter, "Fabricated citations: an audit across 2·5 million biomedical papers," is published in The Lancet. (Research letters published in the Correspondence section include research findings and are externally peer-reviewed. Unlike Articles containing original data, research letters are shorter and the research they contain is usually preliminary, exploratory, or reporting on early findings.)

To conduct their analysis, the research team developed an automated verification system using AI that scanned 2.5 million papers published from January 1, 2023, to February 18, 2026, in PubMed Central's Open Access.

Among 97.1 million verified references, they identified 4,046 fake citations across 2,810 papers. The rate has grown more than 12-fold since 2023, with the sharpest increase beginning mid-2024, coinciding with the rise of AI writing tools.

This discovery directly impacts patients as medical professionals make treatment decisions based on clinical guidelines.
A medical professional or clinical guideline developer has no way of knowing that the evidence they are relying on does not exist. For example, one paper we reviewed had 18 out of 30 fake references. Some of those citations are already being cited by other papers and appear in systematic reviews that inform clinical care.
Based on their findings, the authors recommend publishers verify references with each paper submission. They also recommend that indexing services add metadata to records so that users can assess the accuracy of references.

Lastly, the research team urges major research integrity databases to establish a dedicated category for fake references to enable systematic tracking and accountability. They call on publishers to retroactively screen existing publications and issue corrections or retractions where fake references compromise a paper's conclusions. Notably, at the time of the audit, 98.4% of affected papers had not received any publisher action.

Maxim Topaz et al, Fabricated citations: an audit across 2·5 million biomedical papers, The Lancet (2026). DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(26)00603-3

Howard Bauchner et al, Fabricated references: a new threat to editorial integrity, The Lancet (2026). DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(26)00798-1

**

Omega-3 supplements may be linked to faster cognitive decline in seniors, study finds
Omega-3 supplementation in older adults was associated with a more rapid decline in cognitive function over five years compared to non-users, independent of APOE ε4 genetic risk. Brain imaging indicated this decline was linked to reduced cerebral glucose metabolism rather than typical Alzheimer's pathology. The findings suggest potential adverse effects of omega-3 on synaptic function in aging brains.

Zheng-Bin Liao et al, The association between omega-3 supplementation and cognitive decline in older adults, The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.tjpad.2026.100569

Almost all plant-based meat alternatives contain mycotoxins, new research finds

New research into plant-based food and drinks has found a prevalence of mycotoxins—naturally occurring poisonous compounds produced by fungi—in hundreds of vegetarian and vegan products. A total of 212 plant-based meat alternatives (PMBAs) and plant-based beverages (PBBs) from UK shelves were tested—and all of them contained at least one of 19 mycotoxins, with multiple products containing more than one.
The study tested a broad spectrum of products readily available to UK consumers, such as burgers, vegetarian chicken pieces, vegan sausages, oat-, almond- and soy-based milks.

The study, "Mycotoxin contamination in plant-based beverages and meat alternatives: A survey of the UK market," is published in Food Control.

Mycotoxins are particularly prevalent in plant-based foods because the raw materials those foods are made from—such as grains, legumes and seeds—can be exposed to mold during cultivation and storage.

The research team found that mycotoxin levels in the UK foods that they tested were lower than the recommended EU guideline levels, reflecting the high quality standards of the UK food industry.

However, previous research studies have shown that even low levels, if consumed often, can build up exposure and lead to potential health concerns. So, while consuming these products in isolation is unlikely to pose issues, a diet solely based on plant-based foods could lead to a cumulative build-up of mycotoxins, potentially resulting in health problems if not managed properly.

Raquel Torrijos et al, Mycotoxin contamination in plant-based beverages and meat alternatives: A survey of the UK market, Food Control (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111910

Contagious yawning begins in the womb

Yawning is incredibly contagious, and more often than not, seeing someone yawn right in front of us makes us instinctively do the same. It is often tied to social and emotional connection and brain mirroring, where we automatically align and simulate the emotions and actions of the people around us. A recent study published in Current Biology has found that this behaviour begins even before birth.

Researchers recorded the facial expressions of pregnant women while an ultrasound machine captured real-time images of their fetuses' faces. By comparing the two recordings, the researchers observed that fetuses were more likely to yawn after their mothers yawned, with a delay of about 90 seconds.

Yawning in humans begins far earlier than most people realize. Fetuses start yawning in the womb at around 11 weeks of development. Since there is no air for the foetus to draw in, during a yawn, they slowly open their mouths, perform movements that resemble breathing in and out, and then gently close their mouths again. For a long time, scientists thought that foetal yawning was thought to be driven purely by internal biological processes, but there wasn't enough evidence to prove it either right or wrong.

In this study, the researchers wanted to see if fetuses in the womb would catch a yawn from their mothers. For this, they recruited 38 pregnant women who were between 28 and 32 weeks along, all with healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies.

The experiments involved the mothers watching three different types of video in a quiet room: a yawning video, a mouth-movement video, and a still-face video. While a video camera monitored the mother's face, the researchers used a 2D ultrasound machine to provide a real-time view of the foetus's nose and lips.

Three experts, who didn't know what the mother was watching, reviewed the collected footage and verified the yawns. The researchers used an AI tool called DeepLabCut to precisely track subtle lip and nose movements, then trained a neural network to see whether a mother's yawn mirrored the movement pattern of her foetus's.

The researchers found that foetal yawning increased significantly only when the mother yawned, not when she simply opened and closed her mouth or kept her face still. They called this phenomenon prenatal behavioural contagion. The foetal yawns were not random either; they typically appeared about 90 seconds after the mother yawned, which is similar to the response time seen in contagious yawning among adults.

These findings suggest that foetal yawning may be part of an early mother-baby connection, where a mother's behaviour can influence how the foetus responds. 

Giulia D'Adamo et al, Prenatal behavioral contagion through maternal yawning and fetal resonance, Current Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.04.025

Meet the mosquito terminator—a spider that likes us and eats our enemies

Evarcha culicivora, a jumping spider species native to East Africa, preferentially preys on blood-fed mosquitoes, particularly those that have fed on humans. These spiders are attracted to human odors, such as worn socks, and can identify blood-carrying mosquitoes by sight or smell, indicating an innate prey preference. While not harmful to humans or effective for malaria eradication, they contribute to natural mosquito population control.

original article.

Hantavirus scare revives COVID-era conspiracy theories

An outbreak of the deadly hantavirus on a Dutch-flagged cruise ship is reviving conspiracy theories about vaccines, alleged depopulation campaigns and miracle cures that flourished during the COVID pandemic.

The recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has triggered a resurgence of COVID-era conspiracy theories, including claims of intentional virus release, forced vaccination, and unproven cures such as ivermectin. There is no evidence linking hantavirus to COVID-19 vaccines or bioweapons, and no approved vaccines or cures exist for hantavirus. Misinformation is spreading rapidly online, fueled by political and financial motives.

The multilingual misinformation, which dominated online discourse and disrupted public health responses to the coronavirus, resurged even as the World Health Organization insisted that there remained minimal risk to the general public from passengers of the MV Hondius.
posts declared the outbreak a "plandemic"—borrowing from the title of a widely discredited pseudo-documentary from 2020 that pushed falsehoods about COVID.

A passenger is believed to have contracted the rare respiratory disease before boarding the ship in Argentina and infecting others on board.

Yet, expert analysis found widespread claims alleging a sinister plot to force vaccines on the masses, coerce people into lockdown, or sway America's November elections by justifying expanded use of mail-in ballots—a voting method that election deniers have insisted without evidence is rife with fraud.

The almost-immediate resurrection of COVID-19-era conspiracy theories is a reminder that misinformation doesn't simply disappear once the crisis that yielded them is over.
Posts pointed to past coverage of potential vaccines for hantavirus, COVID-era comments from billionaire Bill Gates and a fictional 1990s television show as evidence the hantavirus was intentionally released to reduce the population or make money for vaccine manufacturers.

Some further claimed the hantavirus was a side effect of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines, misrepresenting a document that showed only that it was one of many "adverse events of special interest" subjected to monitoring, not something caused by the shot.
There are no approved vaccines or known cures for the hantavirus, which is usually spread from infected rodents and can cause respiratory and cardiac distress as well as hemorrhagic fever.

But online, anti-establishment physicians and some politicians immediately touted the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin and other medications as cures.
Some are saying that the virus is a "bioweapon" unleashed so pharmaceutical companies could profit off "poison" vaccines.
There is extreme misinformation about ivermectin. Outside of laboratory tests, ivermectin has not proven effective in treating infections.
Amid anxiety and confusion over the outbreak, "online influencers, social media groups, or AI-operated users, may seize the chance to make some money."
Remember, we have warned you!
Source: Expert warnings and news agencies

**

Why hantavirus is not the new COVID, according to experts
Hantavirus is an established pathogen primarily transmitted from rodents to humans, with human-to-human transmission being rare and requiring close contact. Unlike COVID-19, hantavirus outbreaks are limited by high lethality and rapid symptom onset, which restrict widespread transmission. No specific treatments or broadly effective vaccines exist for hantavirus, but its pandemic potential remains low compared to COVID-19.
The Andes hantavirus may be too rapidly fatal to spark a pandemic.
The Andes hantavirus is thought to have a mortality rate of around 40%.
COVID, on the other hand, "infects thousands of people and only later do deaths start to accumulate
"Everything happens much faster: One person transmits it, 10 people become infected, and they die if they do not receive proper treatment.
"That is why there is not as much chance of a hantavirus pandemic.
There are currently no treatments or vaccines specifically targeting hantavirus, so doctors treat the symptoms it causes, such as breathing problems.

"The faster people receive treatment, the better their prognosis

Hantavirus crisis: WHO recommendations
WHO recommends six-week quarantine and active monitoring for all high-risk contacts from the cruise ship outbreak, corresponding to the Andes virus's maximum incubation period. Countries are urged to strengthen contact tracing, surveillance, and transparent communication. No vaccine or treatment exists; early supportive care and strict infection control in healthcare settings are advised.
Why 42 days? That corresponded to the longest likely incubation period of Andes virus—the only hantavirus strain known to spread between humans—at the heart of the outbreak.
There is as of now no licensed treatment for hantavirus, which can have a fatality rate up to 50%.

But the WHO said "early supportive care and immediate referral to a facility with a complete ICU can improve survival".
Source: WHO

Invading cancer cells grip and rip their way into new tissues

Cancer cells invade new tissues by gripping and pulling apart protective barriers, rather than simply pushing through them. This process is mediated by integrin adhesion proteins, which transmit mechanical forces, causing tissue tension and eventual rupture. Cancer cells are already in a fluid-like state before invasion, and no stiff-to-fluid transition is required. Targeting these mechanical interactions may offer new therapeutic strategies.

Researchers have discovered that cancer cells do not simply push through surrounding tissues to spread, but instead actively grip onto protective tissue barriers and pull them apart, revealing a fundamentally new mechanism of cancer invasion that could open fresh avenues for therapeutic intervention.
Cancer cells can spread to distant tissues and organs, where they establish new tumors and ultimately lead to organ dysfunction and death. In ovarian cancer, clusters of tumor cells must break through a thin protective lining called the mesothelium, which covers the inner surface of the abdomen, in order to colonize new sites.

These tumor clusters are typically thought to forcibly push their way through such tissue barriers in a process termed "invasion."
Using laboratory-grown ovarian cancer cell clusters placed onto a mesothelial cell layer to mimic the invasion process, the research team discovered that instead of simply pushing through, both the interacting cancer cells and surrounding tissue behave in a manner akin to gripping with tiny claws, latching and pulling onto each other.

This intercellular behaviour is mediated by integrin adhesion proteins, which transmit mechanical forces through these connections.

Over time, this process causes the surrounding tissues interacting with the invading cancer cells to tighten and stretch, creating an opening that allows the invading cancer cells to spread and colonize new environments.
The prevalent explanation for cancer spread is that cancerous cells from tumors undergo a transition from stiff, solid-like forms to a more elastic, fluid-like state. This transformation allows cancer cells to push through tissues with ease. However, the new findings in this study change this understanding.

Using advanced three-dimensional cell tracking and artificial intelligence-based analysis, the team showed that instead of switching between stiff and fluid states, cancer cells are already in a fluid-like state even before invasion begins, and that no such transition is required.

Instead, the cancer cells interact and engage with the surrounding tissues by pulling at them, transmitting forces to these tissues, ultimately leading to tension build-up until the protective tissue gives way and tears apart.
These findings answer prevailing questions about the mechanisms by which cancer colonizes new organs.

Selwin K. Wu et al, Multiscale mechanisms driving tissue rupture by invading cells, Developmental Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2026.01.016

Wine's leftovers could help wean chicken farms off antibiotics
Inclusion of 0.5% grape pomace in broiler chicken diets improved weight gain, feed efficiency, and gut health to levels comparable with antibiotic growth promoters, while reducing gut inflammation and harmful bacteria. Both raw and fermented grape pomace altered the gut microbiome favorably and increased butyrate production. Utilizing grape pomace as a feed additive could reduce reliance on antibiotics and repurpose a major agricultural byproduct.

Milan K. Sharma et al, Dietary grape pomace mitigates high-NSP-induced inflammation and production loss via microbiome-SCFA-immune mediated pathways, npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41522-026-00996-8

The fog is alive: Droplets host bacteria that clear toxins from our air

Fog droplets host active bacterial communities, notably methylobacteria, which grow and metabolize pollutants such as formaldehyde, converting it to carbon dioxide. These microbial processes contribute to air purification, indicating fog acts as a transient aquatic habitat with significant ecological and atmospheric implications. Fog water may require purification before use as a drinking source due to microbial presence.

Thi Thuong Thuong Cao et al, Growth and formaldehyde degradation of photoheterotrophic Methylobacterium within radiation fogs, mBio (2026). DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00463-26

In an ant colony, the queen isn't in charge. So who is?
Ant colonies function as self-organized systems without centralized leadership; the queen's primary role is reproduction, not governance. Complex colony behaviors, such as efficient transportation networks and intricate nest construction, emerge from simple individual rules, pheromone-based communication, and stigmergy. Collective problem-solving and coordination improve with group size in ants, contrasting with human group dynamics.

original article.

New study challenges the idea that testosterone drives risk-taking behavior
A meta-analysis of 52 studies with over 17,000 participants found no reliable association between testosterone levels and risk-taking behavior. The relationship between testosterone and risk-taking did not differ between men and women, and only weak links appeared in specific tasks such as lottery games. Risk-taking appears to result from a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors rather than testosterone alone.
A separate meta-analysis looking at sex differences found that testosterone's link to risk-taking behaviour is no stronger in men than in women.

Irene Sánchez Rodríguez et al, No relationship between testosterone and risk aversion: A meta-analytic review, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106575

Bitter herbal extracts spur stomach acid in human gastric cells, study finds

Bitter herbal extracts, particularly those rich in polyphenols, stimulate proton secretion in human gastric cells via activation of bitter taste receptors TAS2R4, TAS2R5, and TAS2R39, promoting gastric acid production. Combinations of multiple extracts produced stronger effects than individual extracts, suggesting synergistic interactions among various plant compounds.
Bitter-tasting herbal extracts have traditionally been used to support digestion, yet the molecular basis of their effects has remained largely unclear.
Researchers now gained new insights into this mechanism. Using a cellular model, its researchers demonstrated that herbal extracts can stimulate proton secretion in human gastric cells as a key mechanism of gastric acid production, with combinations of extracts showing particularly strong effects. Extracts rich in polyphenols proved especially potent. The study further identified three human bitter taste receptor subtypes as key mediators of this response.
The researchers investigated a commercially available herbal preparation commonly used to alleviate digestive complaints. The formulation consists of extracts from nine plants and is characterized by a pronounced bitter taste. Based on this, the scientists hypothesized that the bitter compounds it contains, including polyphenols, not only activate bitter taste receptors in the mouth, but also stimulate gastric acid secretion through extraoral bitter taste receptors located in the stomach. Roughly 25 different human bitter taste receptor subtypes are known.
Their experiments revealed that several extracts, especially those from masterwort, juniper, sage, and yarrow, enhanced proton secretion in human gastric cells. In contrast, extracts from plants such as dandelion and gentian did not produce significant effects within the tested concentration range of up to 300 micrograms per milliliter.

The study also found that extracts with particularly high polyphenol levels exerted the strongest stimulatory effects. The researchers therefore propose that these phytochemicals may play an important role in promoting gastric acid secretion. Additional molecular biology analyses further indicated that the bitter taste receptors TAS2R4, TAS2R5, and TAS2R39 are involved in mediating the observed increase in proton secretion.
The combination containing all nine plant extracts produced the strongest stimulation of cellular proton secretion. In contrast, the mixture composed of the four most active individual extracts showed a considerably weaker effect, while the blend of the five least active extracts triggered only a slight increase in proton secretion."

According to the researcher, the findings indicate that cellular response emerges through the interaction of multiple compounds that enhance one another's effects.
Apart from polyphenols, other plant constituents are also likely to contribute to this synergistic effect.
The study therefore offers a potential molecular explanation for why bitter-tasting herbal preparations have long been regarded as digestive aids. By activating bitter taste receptors in the stomach, these compounds may directly stimulate gastric acid secretion and thereby support digestive processes. The results also indicate that complex herbal mixtures can, in some cases, be more effective than isolated extracts.

Phil Richter et al, A Digestive Herbal Mixture Preparation Stimulates Proton Secretion in Human Parietal Cells through Phenolic Compounds Targeting Bitter Taste Receptors, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (2026). DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.70443

**

Your blood may already know what illness comes next—long before symptoms appear, study finds

Predicting who will develop common diseases is key to prevention, detection, and early treatment. Traditionally, clinicians have estimated risk based on age, sex, laboratory results, and lifestyle factors. Although these classical indicators provide important information, they do not necessarily reflect the multifaceted biological mechanisms underlying disease development.

Researchers are now peering deeper into the hidden molecular world inside us. Multi-omics, an advanced biological analysis approach that integrates data from multiple "omes," such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, provides a comprehensive view of biological systems. It is like opening several windows at once. Each layer adds a clue, each clue adds a story.

Of the different types of omics technologies, proteomics (the study of proteins) and metabolomics (the study of metabolites) have been especially promising. Nevertheless, despite the advances achieved through large-scale approaches in these areas of research, studies integrating both remain scarce, and each new study is another step forward toward personalized medicine.

Publishing in Nature Communications, the researchers studied almost 24,000 people from the UK BIOBANK  to see if adding detailed molecular information, like proteins (proteomics) and small molecules (metabolomics), could help predict disease risk.

They found that using this additional data improved prediction accuracy across all 17 diseases they studied, including cancers, heart problems, diabetes, brain disorders, and lung diseases. This worked better than relying only on standard clinical measures.

Metabolomics provides inexpensive measures of circulating metabolites and can outperform traditional risk factors in predicting health. Proteomics is the quantification of proteins in blood and tissues to characterize disease biology that enhances risk prediction. Large-scale studies that combine both are rare.

Combined utilization of these complementary strategies may lead to improved disease prediction, allowing early diagnosis, precise prognosis, and ultimately personalized treatment approaches.

Given this gap, researchers performed a large-scale analysis of 159 metabolites and 2,923 proteins from nearly 24,000 individuals in the UK Biobank (a key resource for grand-scale studies bridging molecular data with disease). To determine the added predictive value of metabolomics and proteomics data (versus conventional clinical variables), researchers evaluated different prediction models across 17 diseases using these additional omics parameters.

They also matched important molecular attributes of the disease to demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic variables, illuminating underlying features across populations related to variability in disease etiology and risk.

The authors said, "Proteomics-only models generally outperformed metabolomics-only models for 16 of the 17 diseases, and integrating both omics added little prediction power over proteomics-only models."
Part 1

Via this analysis, researchers identified key molecular markers such as the well-established prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in prostate cancer and new candidates such as PRG3 in skin cancer. Some of these proteins were stratified by medication use and also adjusted for socioeconomic status, demonstrating that omics data can correlate with individual risk factors, illuminate disease pathways, and potentially guide follow-up therapeutic targets.

The authors noted, "Our study not only develops better risk prediction models, but also provides insights into a wide range of disease risk factors."

The mixOmics tool was used to deal with data from extensive molecular datasets. Other deep learning methods, Cox regression, Elastic Net, Random Survival Forest, and MOGONET were also tested. Cox regression often overfitted; Random Forest models were slow; other approaches diluted the signal, but mixOmics was both accurate and fast.

Analysis of metabolites revealed only widespread lipid-related patterns and disease-specific structural changes associated with proteins. Collectively, these datasets revealed common biological pathways, metabolic processes, and signaling pathways involved in disease pathogenesis.

Proteins were the major predictors of combinations, confirming the strong individual predictive power of proteomics. It confirmed known protein-disease associations, such as PRG3 and skin cancer, and identified relationships between proteins and medications, demographics, and social factors.

Known drug-disease links, such as Bisoprolol and heart disease, were confirmed in some of the results, and others are promising leads for opportunities to repurpose drugs or identify new side effects that need further study.
Part 2

The study has several limitations. Hospital records may miss less severe cases that were managed in primary care settings. The analysis was performed on 159 metabolites and 2,923 proteins from plasma samples alone, failing to capture specific molecular events that may occur in internal organs.

All data were collected at baseline, thereby preventing assessment of disease progression over time. Only the two omics layers were the focus of the study, and missing data have been imputed using methods that could introduce bias.

Feature importance could be misinterpreted due to correlations within the data. Since protein models proved so strong, the study focused on the best protein markers, without fully distinguishing which were common across diseases vs. disease-specific.

Despite limitations, the study carries important implications. Genomics and epigenomics enable greater predictive power than proteins and metabolites. Validating across populations enhances the robustness and fairness of a model. The combination of longitudinal data enables monitoring of disease progression, leading to timely interventions and personalized care processes.

Jiawen Du et al, Multi-omics integration predicts the incidence of 17 diseases in the UK Biobank, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-73017-z

Part 3

**

How the brain switches between older and newer memories

As humans and other animals experience new things, their brains continuously update their memory of past events. These updates allow them to adapt to changing environments, all while preserving older memories that could still help them to make decisions in some situations.

Many past neuroscience studies have investigated the neural circuits involved in the encoding and retrieval of memories. However, the mechanisms via which it decides whether to retrieve older or newly updated memories remain poorly understood.

Researchers recently carried out a study involving mice that was aimed at better understanding how the brain switches between older and newer memories.

Their paper, published in Nature Neuroscience, delineates a specific neural pathway that appears to support the flexible switching between the retrieval of old and updated memories in mice, involving brain regions known as the medial septum (MS), the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the CA1 segment in the hippocampus.

The researchers' earlier observations ultimately led them to hypothesize that individual events leave their own "memory traces" each time the brain updates memories. They also proposed that the brain can access previously formed engram cell ensembles (i.e., cells encoding specific memories) that remain unaltered during the updating process, but it predominantly retrieves memories encoded by newly formed engram cell ensembles.

To test their hypotheses, the researchers carried out a series of experiments involving adult male mice. The mice were trained to form specific associations between stimuli and rewards, which ultimately guided their behaviour.

The researchers then exposed the mice to new experiences that led them to update their original memory associations. Using neuroimaging techniques, they looked at what cells became active while the mice's brain was retrieving newer, updated memories.

Their approach was to investigate whether neurons are selectively activated during retrieval after memory updating, compared with a single learning episode as a non-memory-updating control.

The researchers  identified a neural pathway that appears to play a central role in the adaptive switching between older memories and newer, updated ones.

Mujun Kim et al, A septo–entorhinal GABAergic pathway that enables switching between episodic memories, Nature Neuroscience (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-026-02280-6.

**

Ultra-processed foods tied to nearly fourfold asthma risk in children

Children who get more than 30% of their daily energy from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), such as soda drinks, packaged snacks, and sweetened breakfast cereals, have a nearly fourfold risk of developing asthma in their early school years.

The finding comes from a new study published in the journal Allergy that followed nearly 700  children for an average of 3.4 years as part of  a project.

Asthma is a common, long-term condition that affects breathing and often runs in families. While genetics are known to play a role, environment and lifestyle factors are also to blame. In this study, researchers wanted to know whether certain parts of our modern diet, specifically ultra-processed foods, were associated with the later development of asthma and other allergic diseases.
They followed 691 children who were 4 or 5 years old when the study started. Parents reported what their children ate by completing a detailed questionnaire, and the team categorized the foods using the NOVA system. This is a framework that classifies foods by processing levels rather than nutrient content.

Parents also updated the researchers each year on whether their children had been diagnosed with asthma or allergies. To ensure accuracy, the team took into account numerous factors that might skew the results, such as the child's weight and how much time they spent in front of screens.

Part 1

The results showed a strong link between ultra-processed foods and asthma. "Higher UPF consumption may be associated with an increased risk of developing asthma in school-age children," commented the team in their paper.

Beyond the nearly fourfold increase in asthma risk compared to children with the lowest intake of UPFs, the study found that the quantity of processed foods mattered. As the percentage of processed food in a child's diet went up, the likelihood of an asthma diagnosis also appeared to increase.

However, no such link was shown between ultra-processed foods and other allergic conditions. The study authors suggest that this may be because UPFs are irritating the lungs through a type of inflammation not related to an allergic reaction.

Given the link between diet and asthma suggested in the study, the scientists issued a call to action. "These findings highlight the need for public health policies aimed at limiting processed food consumption in children's diets as a preventive strategy."

O. Galindo et al, Ultra‐Processed Food Consumption and Childhood Allergic Diseases: Increased Risk of Asthma Onset in the SENDO Project, Allergy (2026). DOI: 10.1111/all.70378

Part 2

Satellite launch pollution is rapidly accumulating in the upper atmosphere
Megaconstellation satellite launches since 2019 are projected to contribute 42% of the space sector’s climate impact by 2029, primarily through black carbon emissions that persist in the upper atmosphere and are 540 times more effective at altering climate than surface sources. This pollution reduces sunlight reaching Earth, with effects comparable to geoengineering proposals, though the overall cooling impact is minimal relative to ongoing global warming. Ozone depletion from current launches remains small, but future impacts are uncertain as more satellites are deployed using various rocket fuels. The rapid increase in launches and persistent upper-atmosphere pollution highlight the need for regulatory action.

Radiative Forcing and Ozone Depletion of a Decade of Satellite Megaconstellation Missions, Earth's Future (2026). DOI: 10.1029/2025EF007229

Heart disease risk may start in the womb

A child's future heart health may be partially shaped before they are born, reports a new study that found pregnancy complications are linked to poorer cardiovascular health in offspring more than 20 years later.
Maternal pregnancy complications, particularly high blood pressure, are associated with poorer cardiovascular health in offspring at age 22, including higher BMI, blood pressure, blood sugar, and increased arterial wall thickness. Gestational diabetes and preterm birth also showed links to adverse cardiovascular markers. These findings suggest that cardiovascular risk may be influenced by prenatal exposures.
The study found that young adults whose mothers had high blood pressure during pregnancy—either pregnancy-associated hypertension, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia—had more signs of early arterial injury, higher blood pressure, higher body mass index and higher blood sugar than peers.

The authors said the study adds to growing evidence that cardiovascular risk may be transmitted across generations through a combination of biological, environmental and behavioural factors.

That means we must make sure people maintain good health from childhood into young adulthood, so that if or when someone becomes a parent, they pass on the best opportunity for good health to their children.
At around age 22, participants whose mothers had high blood pressure during pregnancy had:

Higher body mass index (+2.8 BMI points)
Higher diastolic blood pressure (+2.3 mm Hg)
Higher blood sugar levels (+0.2% HbA1c)
Thicker artery walls (~0.02 mm)
While the difference in artery wall thickness may seem small, the study authors said it corresponds to roughly three to five years of additional vascular aging. That means arteries look older and less healthy than expected, which raises the risk of future heart disease.

Other pregnancy complications also showed some long-term effects:

Exposure to gestational diabetes was linked to worse blood pressure and some evidence of artery thickening
Being born preterm was associated with higher blood sugar levels

The good news is that most heart disease is preventable

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Cardiovascular Health Among Offspring in Early Adulthood, JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.6783

Research shows individual protein needs vary widely, challenging the idea of a single daily target

Individual protein requirements vary significantly based on factors such as age, sex, activity level, and health status, making a single daily protein guideline insufficient for all populations. Newer measurement methods indicate protein breakdown may be higher than previously estimated, supporting a shift toward individualized, context-specific protein recommendations.
Protein has become the star of the modern diet. From shakes, bars and powders to viral fitness advice, the message seems clear: more protein equals better health. But new research suggests it's not that simple.
For decades, nutrition guidance has centered on a single benchmark: about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That recommendation was designed to meet the needs of nearly all healthy people, and it remains the standard used in dietary guidelines today.
But the problem is that this guideline was never meant to apply to everyone. Two people with the same body weight may have different requirements depending on factors like sex, activity level, age and overall health.
We need to think more on an individual basis. You cannot take one value. Protein requirements were never meant for special populations—they were only meant for healthy, young people. When you get older, your requirements change, and more importantly, if you have a chronic disease, your requirements are also different. So, you cannot use this one number in all cases.

If you've been trying to hit a specific protein goal every day, here's some reassurance: you're likely already getting enough!
The limits of a one-size-fits-all protein guideline:
Part of the issue lies in how protein needs have traditionally been measured.
Researchers have traditionally relied on methods that track amino acids in the bloodstream to estimate how much protein the body breaks down and needs to replace. But those measurements don't fully capture what's happening inside the body's cells, where protein turnover takes place.

As a result, they can underestimate how much protein the body is actually using.
Using a new approach, the researchers found that protein breakdown in the body may be significantly higher than previously estimated, helping explain why a single universal guideline may not reflect individual needs.

The future of nutrition lies in tailoring recommendations to the individual.

This is what the researchers call precision nutrition and individualized protein needs.

This approach considers factors like a person's habitual diet, health status and physiology, recognizing that two people of the same size may have very different nutritional needs.

Instead of chasing a universal number, the focus should shift toward understanding individual needs and context.

Nicolaas E.P. Deutz et al, A novel pulse tracer method to estimate the relationship between amino acid meal composition and its intracellular disposal, Clinical Nutrition (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2025.10.002

When words look like their meaning, we process them faster, new research reveals
Words whose visual letter shapes resemble their meanings—demonstrating visual iconicity—are processed more quickly and accurately, even after controlling for word frequency, length, and concreteness. Words for round or spiky objects rated higher in iconicity when containing correspondingly shaped letters, and such words are typically learned earlier. This suggests that visual features of written words can facilitate language processing.

Common NSAIDs in first trimester show no birth defect link, data suggest
First trimester exposure to common NSAIDs, including ibuprofen, diclofenac, and naproxen, was not associated with an increased risk of major congenital malformations or defects in specific organ systems. No significant dose-response relationship was observed, indicating NSAID use in early pregnancy does not elevate birth defect risk.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, taken during the first trimester of pregnancy are not associated with an increased risk of major birth defects, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine.
Pain and fever are common in early pregnancy and the options to manage them have been limited. Studies have raised safety concerns regarding acetaminophen while data on the safety of NSAIDs—which include widely used medications such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, and naproxen—has remained inconclusive.

The new study used data from the Southern Israeli Pregnancy Registry (SiPREG) to analyze 264,858 singleton pregnancies between 1998 and 2018, of which 20,202 (7.6%) were exposed to NSAIDs during the first trimester—most commonly ibuprofen (5.1%), diclofenac (1.6%), and naproxen (1.2%).

Major congenital malformations were identified from linked clinical, hospitalization, and termination records. The researchers adjusted risks for maternal and pregnancy characteristics including maternal age, ethnicity, diabetes, obesity, folic acid use, and the reason for NSAID use.

NSAID exposure was not associated with major congenital malformations overall (8.2% vs. 7.0% in unexposed pregnancies; matched adjusted relative risk = 0.99), nor with malformations in specific organ systems including the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems.

No association was observed for any individual drug, and dose-response analyses found no significant link between cumulative NSAID exposure and birth defect risk.
The results provide reassuring evidence that NSAID use in early pregnancy is not associated with major birth defects.

Hasidim AA, et al. First-trimester nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs exposure and risk of major congenital malformations: A retrospective register-based cohort study, PLOS Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1005063

Prenatal exposure to chemical mixtures may influence fetal growth through the placenta

Prenatal exposure to mixtures of environmental chemicals, particularly low molecular weight phthalates, is associated with lower birthweight and altered fetoplacental blood flow, potentially mediated by imbalances in angiogenic biomarkers. Organophosphate mixtures correlated with higher foetal weight, possibly reflecting dietary factors. These findings indicate that chemical mixtures may influence foetal growth via placental mechanisms.

Bethany Knox et al, Prenatal Exposure to Mixtures of Nonpersistent Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Angiogenic Biomarkers, Placental Function, and Fetal Growth, Environmental Science & Technology (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c13234

Autoimmune gene provides viral protection

A variant of the gene PTPN22 linked to autoimmune diseases also appears to have a protective effect against viral infections. Researchers found that in mice, the presence of this variant kick-starts the activity of natural killer cells against a type of coronavirus. Removing natural killer cells from mice without the mutation had no effect on their ability to fight off the infection, which suggests these cells are not usually involved in the antiviral response. The findings could explain why this variant is relatively common in people, despite its link to diseases such as diabetes and lupus.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2519903123

Are microbes the future of pollution clean-up?
Synthetic biologists are engineering bacteria to feast on oil, plastic and toxic chemicals

Microbes eat pollution — if we let them
A growing community of synthetic biologists are using biotechnology-led solutions — mostly microorganisms containing DNA tailored for a specific function — to tackle pollution ranging from microplastics and industrial waste to soils laced with heavy metals or explosive residues. But the field is held back by concerns around releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment, and the fact that current incentives make polluting profitable while cleaning up costs money.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01420-z?utm_source=Live+...

India’s DNA map uncovers millions of missing genetic variants A vast study reveals deep diversity, hidden disease risks and exposes the limits of Eurocentric medicine.

India’s DNA map reveals amazing diversity
India’s biggest gene-sequencing effort has shed new light on the diversity of the population, identifying nearly 130 million genetic variants, almost a third of which have not been reported previously. The GenomeIndia project analysed the whole genomes of almost 10,000 people, uncovering 44 million variants that weren’t already in global scientific databases. The study also revealed genetic risk factors in some populations, such as variants in genes that affect how the body processes certain drugs, variants linked to anaesthesia-related complications and extremely high levels of genetic homozygosity — when individuals inherit identical forms of a gene at a particular chromosome location from both parents. This can be a risk factor for recessive genetic diseases.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.20.26348801v1

https://www.nature.com/articles/d44151-026-00082-0?utm_source=Live+...