Researchers have created an AI tool to accelerate the development of new disease treatments and demonstrated its potential by identifying an existing drug with the potential to prevent deadly heart failure.

A breakthrough in biomedical research is reshaping the way scientists study human biology. Assembloids—advanced 3D tissue models that integrate multiple organoids or specialized cell types—are unlocking new dimensions in developmental biology, disease modeling, and drug discovery by more closely mimicking the complex cellular interactions within human tissues. A recent review categorizes assembloids into four key assembly strategies—multi-region, multi-lineage, multi-gradient, and multi-layer—each designed to better simulate complex biological processes with unprecedented accuracy. By bridging the gap between simplified organoids and the intricate architecture of human tissues, assembloids are poised to transform our understanding of health and disease.

The SynGAP Research Fund (SRF) dba Cure SYNGAP1, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has awarded a $65,000 grant to Dr. Julia Dallman, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences, to investigate gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in SYNGAP1-related disorders (SRD) patients. Leveraging her extensive experience with zebrafish models, Dr. Dallman's research aims to identify therapies that alleviate severe GI issues, such as chronic constipation and feeding difficulties, which significantly impact the quality of life for individuals with SRD. This project underscores Dr. Dallman's longstanding commitment to SYNGAP1 research and offers hope for effective treatments for the SRD community.

Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) demonstrate that the way sardines eat, altered due to the reduction in size of plankton, undermines the efficiency of their feeding and increases the likelihood of consuming more plastic fibres. Although no direct negative effects of this ingestion were identified, environmental changes may have a greater impact than previously thought on how pelagic fish interact with plastic pollutants.

New active ingredients such as antibodies are usually tested individually in laboratory animals. Researchers at UZH have now developed a technology that can be used to test around 25 antibodies simultaneously in a single mouse. This should not only speed up the research and development pipeline for new drugs, but also hugely reduce the number of laboratory animals required.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have discovered that the earliest days of embryo development have a measurable impact on a person’s future health and ageing.

A new study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences  has uncovered a key mechanism involving Intermolecular Coulombic Decay in aqueous environments initiated by heavy-ion irradiation, providing insights about the effectiveness of such irradiation.