The study, conducted on the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster, shows that macrophages detect nutritional stress caused by a high-sugar diet and send a signal to the endocrine system to delay development.

This mechanism delays metamorphosis, giving the larvae time to grow and reach a functional, well-proportioned adult stage.

Published in Current Biology, the study opens up new questions about how nutrition, immunity, and hormones coordinate during development.

Paneth cell metaplasia (PCM), long viewed as a consequence of chronic inflammation in ulcerative colitis, may also help protect and repair the intestine, according to researchers at Science Tokyo. The study found that inflammation increases IL-22 signaling, which promotes PCM and the production of REG3A, a protein that helps heal the intestinal lining. The findings suggest PCM may be a protective response but should be monitored because persistent PCM could increase cancer risk.

A 72-year-old man developed aggressive skin cancer on his left thumb 30 years after a burn injury, illustrating the decades-long latency of Marjolin ulcer. This rare but deadly cancer behaves far more aggressively than common skin cancers, underscoring the critical need for lifelong monitoring of old scars and immediate biopsy of any suspicious changes.

A comprehensive review published in Skin outlines the emergence of “Dermatology AI 2.0”, a fundamental transition from pattern recognition to cognitive and actionable intelligence. Built on four core pillars—causal inference, skin digital twins, predictive intervention, and distributed autonomous networks—this new paradigm enables AI to diagnose rare diseases 30% more accurately, predict disease flares with >90% accuracy, and deliver full-lifecycle skin health management. The review emphasizes that AI will not replace clinicians but will automate routine tasks, allowing physicians to focus on complex cases and patient care.

This study establishes a comprehensive three-level data standardization framework for integrating Western medicine (WM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) electronic medical records in psoriasis research. It resolves the “data-rich, information-poor” paradox in dermatology and enables real-world evidence generation and AI-assisted clinical decision support for integrated therapies.

This review proposes a new generation of biodegradable, tissue-based carriers made from chitin nanofibrils and nanolignin. These carriers improve the stability, skin penetration, and controlled release of key anti-aging ingredients while eliminating the need for single-use plastics, addressing both clinical performance and environmental sustainability in the cosmetics industry.

New 2026 Chinese guidelines introduce a groundbreaking multidimensional severity assessment for alopecia areata (AA) that moves beyond simple scalp involvement. Covering 3.49 million Chinese patients, the guidelines integrate psychosocial impact and extra-scalp features to guide personalized care, establishing JAK inhibitors as first-line systemic therapy for severe cases and addressing long-unmet clinical needs.