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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 10 hours ago

Too young for the MMR shot, babies become 'sitting ducks' in measles outbreaks
Infants too young for measles vaccination are highly vulnerable during outbreaks, relying on herd immunity, which requires ≥95% community vaccination coverage. Declining vaccination rates and increased exemptions have eroded this protection, leading to significant outbreaks and increased risk of severe illness or death in infants. Legislative efforts to restrict vaccine requirements may further reduce coverage and increase disease spread.
Source: News agencies

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 10 hours ago

The team also showed that an infant's epigenome at birth impacted how their microbiome developed during their first year. Specifically, infants developed less diverse gut microbiomes at 12 months of age when they showed higher rates of DNA methylation in immune genes involved in recognizing pathogens.

The behavioral survey revealed that signs of ASD and ADHD in 3-year-olds were associated with specific epigenetic patterns and the presence of certain gut microbes.

However, other microbial species seemed to mitigate these effects: infants with epigenetic patterns associated with ASD or ADHD were less likely to show signs of the disorders if they acquired Lachnospira pectinoschiza and Parabacteroides distasonis, respectively, during their first year.

Epigenome–microbiome interplay in early life associates with infants' neurodevelopmental outcomes, Cell Press Blue (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cpblue.2026.100009. www.cell.com/cell-press-blue/f … 3051-3839(26)00007-1

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 10 hours ago

Epigenetic changes at birth are associated with an infant's microbiome and neurodevelopment
Epigenetic patterns at birth influence the development of the infant gut microbiome during the first year and are associated with later neurodevelopmental signs, including ASD and ADHD. Specific gut microbes, such as Lachnospira pectinoschiza and Parabacteroides distasonis, may mitigate the risk of these neurodevelopmental conditions in children with certain epigenetic profiles.
The gut microbiome and epigenetics—molecular switches that turn genes on or off—are intertwined, and both contribute to neurodevelopment, finds a study published in Cell Press Blue. The researchers showed that epigenetic changes present at birth can impact how an infant's gut microbiome develops during their first year.
They also identified specific epigenetic changes and gut microbes that were associated with signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when the children were three years old.

Certain bacteria seem to offer protection, which is exciting because it suggests there could be ways to support a child's development through diet or probiotics in the future.
Early life biology matters:
The first years of life are critical for brain development and immune system maturation. Though previous studies have shown that both early epigenetic changes and gut microbiome development can impact health in later life, little is known about how these two systems interact.
Researchers discovered a kind of conversation happening: a baby's epigenetic setting at birth can influence their risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, but the presence of certain 'good' bacteria in their gut can step in and modify the risk.
The researchers characterized DNA methylation patterns—a type of epigenetic change—from the umbilical cord blood of 571 infants. They paired this information with gut microbiome data collected from 969 infants at 2, 6, and 12 months of age, and from their parents during the third trimester of pregnancy.

When the children reached 36 months of age, the researchers used a behavioral questionnaire to assess their neurodevelopment and investigate links between the microbiome, epigenome, and early signs of ASD and ADHD.
They found that an infant's epigenome at birth was associated with birth mode, length of gestation, having older siblings, and maternal allergies, but it was not affected by their parents' gut microbiomes.

Microbiome development, on the other hand, was associated with birth mode, antibiotics, having older siblings, and breastfeeding. Infants who were born by cesarean section showed different patterns of DNA methylation for several genes involved in immune responses and brain development.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 10 hours ago

Women's immune systems show bigger age-related changes than men's

Immunological aging exhibits distinct sex-specific patterns, with women showing more pronounced age-related changes, including increased inflammatory immune cells, potentially explaining higher autoimmune disease prevalence and postmenopausal inflammatory pathologies. In men, immune aging changes are less extensive but include increased pre-leukemia blood cells, correlating with higher blood cancer rates in older men. These findings highlight the importance of considering biological sex in precision medicine for aging and immune health.
Statistics show clear differences in the population's immune system according to sex: men are more susceptible to infections and cancers, while women have stronger immune responses, which translate, for example, into better responses to vaccines. Even so, with a more reactive immune system, the probability of the body attacking itself also increases, causing 80% of autoimmune disease development to occur in women.
In this context, understanding the aging of the immune system is key since, with age, the composition of immune cells changes and their protective functions deteriorate, causing a greater susceptibility to diseases.
A new study published this week in Nature Aging demonstrated, for the first time, that immunological aging follows different dynamics between men and women, identifying the cells and genes responsible for the process, and providing a molecular explanation for the differences that previously were only observed globally in the population.
The results reveal that women present more pronounced changes in the immune system with age, with an increase in inflammatory immune cells. This finding could help explain why autoimmune diseases are mainly developed by women, especially at advanced ages, as well as the worsening of certain inflammatory pathologies after menopause.
On the other hand, the changes associated with immune system aging observed in men are globally less extensive, but an increase in certain blood cells presenting pre-leukemia alterations was observed, a fact that could explain why some blood cancers are more frequent in older men.
Finding these patterns was possible thanks to the analysis of blood samples from nearly 1,000 people of different ages covering the entire adult life, combined with a technology capable of analyzing each cell individually, called single-cell RNA sequencing. In total, the researchers analyzed the activity of 20,000 genes in more than one million blood cells, which allowed them to identify how the immune system changes over the years and detect clear differences between sexes.

Maria Sopena-Rios et al, Single-cell analysis of the human immune system reveals sex-specific dynamics of immunosenescence, Nature Aging (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-026-01099-x

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 10 hours ago

Negative effects of artificial sweeteners may pass on to next generation, study suggests
In mice, consumption of sucralose and stevia altered gut microbiome composition, reduced beneficial short-chain fatty acids, and changed gene expression related to inflammation and metabolism, with some effects persisting across generations. Sucralose produced more pronounced and lasting metabolic and microbiome disruptions than stevia. These findings suggest potential transgenerational metabolic impacts of artificial sweeteners.
Health organizations are starting to raise concerns about the potential long-term impacts of artificial sweeteners, which taste sweet but—unlike sugar—contain no calories, suggesting they could interfere with energy metabolism and increase the eventual risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Now a new study in mice indicates that the popular sweeteners sucralose and stevia have negative effects on the gut microbiome and gene expression, potentially compromising metabolic health, which can be transmitted between generations.
The scientists found that different sweeteners produced different effects, which changed over time.

In the first generation, only the male offspring of sucralose-consuming mice showed signs of impaired glucose tolerance, but by the second generation, elevated fasting blood sugar was detected in male descendants of sucralose-consuming mice and female descendants of stevia-consuming mice.

Both groups of mice that ate sweeteners had more diverse fecal microbiomes but lower concentrations of short-chain fatty acids, suggesting the bacteria were producing fewer beneficial metabolites; both succeeding generations also had lower concentrations of short-chain fatty acids.

Sucralose-consuming mice were more seriously and more persistently affected by changes to the fecal microbiome, with more pathogenic species and fewer beneficial species of bacteria in their feces.

Similarly, sucralose appears to kick-start the expression of genes linked to inflammation and dampen the expression of genes linked to metabolism for two generations after consumption. Stevia also impacts gene expression, but its effects are smaller and are not passed on for more than one generation.

Artificial and Natural Non-Nutritive Sweeteners Drive Divergent Gut and Genetic Responses Across Generations, Frontiers in Nutrition (2026). DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1694149

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 10 hours ago

Climate change is outpacing evolution

Evolution works over millennia. Climate change is moving far faster. That mismatch is killing some of the planet's most vital ecosystems that  store vast amounts of carbon and support complex webs of life.

Marine heat waves, record wildfires and coastal development are pushing these systems beyond their limits as climate change, driven by emissions of fuels like oil and gas, accelerates. An estimated 1 million species face extinction, many within decades, largely due to human activities such as habitat destruction, pollution and overuse of natural resources, according to a 2019 report by a United Nations-affiliated intergovernmental scientific body.

Scientists are working to close the gap with an emerging discipline called conservation genomics: sequencing an organism's complete genetic blueprint to pinpoint individuals with traits suited to survive drought, disease and other climate extremes, then using that information to guide restoration.

Coral reefs are among the first ecosystems where these genomic tools are being put to use. Repeated marine heat waves, which have caused mass bleaching, have devastated reefs worldwide. By sequencing corals and the algae that live inside them, researchers have identified colonies that naturally withstand higher temperatures and are beginning to test whether selectively breeding and growing those more resilient corals can support reef recovery.

However, conservation genomics alone cannot solve climate change
It can be helpful, but it's not a solution unto itself.

 What should be prioritized is reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Genomic tools may help certain species, particularly long-lived ones like redwoods that cannot adapt quickly enough on their own, but they come with limits. Ecosystems are built on complex relationships among plants, animals, microbes and fungi. Engineering or selecting for climate resilient traits in one species does not guarantee the survival of the many others that depend on it.

 You can genetically engineer a few species that would be more tolerant. But that's not an ecosystem. "We're not going to engineer our way out of climate change," warn scientists

Source: News agencies

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 11 hours ago

Five warning signs that rivers are polluted—even when they look clean
Key indicators of river pollution, even when water appears clean, include the presence of sewage fungus, algal blooms, unusual water coloration or murkiness, persistent white foam with chemical odors, and signs of aquatic life distress or absence. Many pollutants are invisible, and these signs may overlap with natural phenomena, so additional context and caution are necessary for accurate assessment.

original article.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 12 hours ago

Synthetic glucocorticoids are routinely given to pregnant women at risk of preterm birth, often without considering the time of day when these hormones naturally fluctuate. The authors found that giving these steroids daily to the mother accelerated the synchronization to local time of the daily rhythms in the pups. These findings may be important when considering how and when doctors administer medications to treat pregnancy conditions.

During the study, the researchers also observed a strong association between failure to develop circadian clock gene activity in the fetuses and failure to deliver. It is not clear yet whether the absence of rhythms contributes to developmental problems or simply reflects them. But the observation suggests that circadian clock activity may be closely linked to healthy fetal development.
The findings also highlight the importance of maintaining stable circadian rhythms during pregnancy. Over 80% of the world's population is exposed to artificial light at night that can disrupt daily rhythms, and this includes pregnant people.
Understanding when and how the body clock starts ticking helps scientists identify sensitive developmental windows when circadian disruption may have lasting effects. This knowledge could help guide medical treatments, inform clinical practices and shape public health policies aimed at protecting neonatal circadian health during pregnancy.

K. L. Nikhil et al, Fetoplacental Circadian Rhythms Develop and Then Synchronize to the Mother In Utero, Journal of Biological Rhythms (2026). DOI: 10.1177/07487304261435435

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 12 hours ago

Baby's body clock begins to synchronize with local time while still in utero, study shows

Humans and most other organisms have internal biological clocks that track the daily cycle of sunrise and sunset. These clocks help time our sleep, metabolism and other essential body functions over the course of a day, creating daily patterns called circadian rhythms. Research shows that when these rhythms are disrupted—by jet lag, lack of sleep or irregular work schedules—people can suffer long-term negative health effects.

Scientists who study daily rhythms have long wondered about when the mammalian circadian clock starts ticking and synchronizes to local time. In a new study published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms, researchers reported that a mother helps to set the biological clock for her babies while they are still in the womb.

Disrupting circadian rhythms during pregnancy can affect how sleep and daily rhythms develop in infants, and these early disruptions are linked to a higher risk of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression later in life.

Understanding when the fetal clock begins to function helps us identify sensitive developmental windows when circadian disruption may have lasting effects and how those effects might be prevented or corrected.

In mouse models researchers  found clear day-night rhythms in the pups that synchronized to the mother's rest-activity cycle during the last week of pregnancy, equivalent to the third trimester in humans. This suggests that the clock machinery forms early in development and receives entraining cues from mom later.

Importantly, they found daily rhythms across the placenta from the mother to the baby before the fetus can sense light.

The researchers found that circadian synchronization of the pups to the mother coincided with when glucocorticoid hormones from the mother cross the placenta, potentially acting as timing signals for the fetal clock. These stress-related hormones normally rise and fall over the course of the day under the control of the mother's internal clock.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 12 hours ago

Orbital Mechanics

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