Key takeaways

UCLA scientists discovered how certain mosquito-borne viruses breach the brain’s defenses, showing that invasive strains exploit just one or two protein doorways to slip inside.

The findings reveal precise viral-host interactions that could be targeted with new antivirals or vaccines to block infection before it reaches the brain.

The study demonstrates the power of a stem cell-based human blood-brain barrier model, which can be used to investigate how many different pathogens interact with the brain’s protective lining.

Carriers of Robertsonian chromosomes are often unaware they’re different. Although generally healthy, they can be infertile or suffer miscarriages. When they do have children, they’re at increased risk of having Down syndrome. Now, in a landmark study, scientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have identified the precise location where human chromosomes break and recombine to form Robertsonian chromosomes. The findings, published in Nature on September 24, 2025, not only explain how these rearrangements form and remain stable—but also point to how repetitive DNA once dismissed as “junk” may play a central role in genome organization and evolution.