During therapy, some cancer cells evolve to escape elimination. Newer anticancer drugs that can overcome this resistance are necessary. Now, researchers from Japan demonstrate that aromatic benzaldehyde inhibits the growth of therapy-resistant pancreatic cancer. By preventing various signaling proteins and histone modifiers like Ser²⁸-phosphorylated histone H3 (H3S28ph) from binding to 14-3-3ζ protein, benzaldehyde overcomes therapy resistance and blocks plasticity to prevent the spread of cancer. These findings highlight its potential in cancer treatment.

The prevailing view in quantum physics has been that spin angular momentum determines how particles align in magnetic fields. Now, a breakthrough study led by researchers from Tokyo University of Science, Japan, reveals that under strong magnetic fields, orbital motion becomes dominant and reverses the direction of angular momentum. These findings point to promising new directions in quantum physics and pave the way for emerging technologies in the field of orbitronics.

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an amino acid functioning as the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter that can act on the brain to slow or stop the reception of certain signals to the brain, leading to a calmer and more relaxed state. Low GABA levels in the brain have been associated with neurological disorders and diseases like depression, Alzheimer's or epilepsy. Recently, there has been a push towards understanding more about the gut’s influence on mood, behavior and mental health, as well as what foods might fuel or hinder a healthy mind. Researchers set to work on determining whether brain GABA levels can be increased through dietary additions with the aim of modulating the gut bacteria present in an individual to bypass the blood-brain barrier, a barrier in which it is not proven yet GABA can pass through.

By establishing an iron overload-induced hepatic ferroptosis model, scientists from Japan have identified iFerroptosis–an integrated gene signature for ferroptosis. They evaluated the associated genes in both mice and human liver injury systems, validating the potential use of iFerroptosis as a biomarker for hepatic ferroptosis. By highlighting the role of ferroptosis in liver injuries, this study offers insights into unique therapeutic targets for ferroptosis.

Immersive media, including augmented and virtual realities, are taking over the world by storm, underscoring the need to progressively improve user experience through more realism. A relatively underexplored area in this field is how the user perceives the speaker’s orientation. Accordingly, research led by Sophia University showed that the loudness of the speaker’s voice, followed by spectral cues, helped the listener judge the speaker’s orientation. Their findings answer longstanding questions in auditory perception.