Comorbidity—the co-occurrence of multiple diseases in a patient—complicates diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Understanding how diseases connect at a molecular level is crucial, especially in aging populations and complex conditions like COVID-19, where comorbidities worsen outcomes. While network medicine has used the human interactome—a map of protein-protein interactions—to study these links, accurately predicting comorbid pairs remains challenging.

For decades, cancer research has highlighted angiogenesis—the growth of new blood vessels—as a critical process that tumors hijack to fuel their growth. Mathematical models, particularly the classic Keller-Segel system, have been instrumental in simulating how endothelial cells (ECs) migrate toward a tumor driven by chemical gradients. However, most models assume a closed, no-flux boundary at the tumor, which may not reflect the "leaky" nature of real tumor vasculature.

In November 2025, a team led by Dr. Yuting Guo at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed how mitochondria-ER contact sites (MERCS) decode proteotoxic stress via calcium nanodomain regulation, activating adaptive mitochondrial responses. Published in Protein & Cell, the work proposes new therapeutic avenues for neurodegenerative diseases.

Artificial intelligence becomes a predictive tool that can provide assistance in defining a nutritional plan for preterm infants. This is the concept of an innovative study recently published in the Journal of Perinatology, part of the Nature portfolio. It is the joint work of researchers from the IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation (FSGT) and the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB) of the Politecnico di Milano.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response are often implicated in the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), from simple steatosis to inflammation-driven metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and, ultimately, hepatocellular carcinoma. A new review paper from Hanyang University ERICA sheds light on the mechanisms underlying these processes, advocating for precise hepatic ER stress control to maintain normal hepatocyte function and develop therapeutic strategies against MASLD.

For years, scientists have worked to uncover how the brain responds to mechanical forces and electromagnetic waves. Computer models offer useful simulations, but they don’t fully capture what goes on inside a living brain. Now, the team from Mizzou’s College of Engineering is working to close that gap by developing 3D-printed models of an artificial human brain.