Advanced military technology exposes civilians to various toxic metals. New research in the field of psychology provides evidence that mothers’ and newborns’ exposure to toxic metals in wars endangers the children’s motor, cognitive and emotional development. Since breastfeeding during the first months is generally considered beneficial to infant health, the researchers were also interested in the role of breastfeeding in metal exposure and its association with child development issues.

A new study led by Prof. Haim Cohen at Bar-Ilan University, in collaboration with Dr. Sagi Snir and PhD student Sarit Feldman-Trabelsi, explores why some mammals live much longer and healthier lives than others. Using a novel computational tool called PHARAOH, the team analyzed protein modifications across 107 mammalian species and identified posttranslational modifications (PTMs) linked to longevity. These PTMs, which regulate crucial cellular functions, were consistently enriched in long-lived species and shown to play protective roles against age-related diseases like cancer. The findings offer promising insights into natural, evolution-driven mechanisms that support healthy aging and could inspire new therapies to extend human healthspan.

The labs of Ryan Flynn at Boston Children’s Hospital and Konstantinos Tzelepis at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute have found a readily druggable target on the surface of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells — in multiple in vivo models, monoclonal antibodies curbed the leukemia with no apparent side effects. The protein target, NPM1, was found in complexes of glycoRNAs and RNA-binding proteins on the cell surface.

GPs may soon be able to identify patients with an increased risk of lung cancer up to 4 months earlier than is currently the case. The GP should be able to simply identify patients during a consultation with an algorithm created by researchers at Amsterdam UMC based on the data of more than half a million patients. The results of the study were published today in the British Journal of General Practice.

Researchers reveal a strategy that helps medulloblastoma, the most prevalent malignant brain tumor in children, spread and grow on the leptomeninges, the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. They discovered a novel line of communication between metastatic medulloblastoma and leptomeningeal fibroblasts that mediates recruitment and reprogramming of the latter to support tumor growth. The findings suggest that disrupting this communication offers a potential opportunity to treat this devastating disease.

Researchers at Tulane University have identified a potential new way to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a deadly and currently incurable lung disease that affects more than 3 million people worldwide.