From "non-essential" to life-saver: the spleen’s hidden role as a built-in bioreactor
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 15-Jun-2025 23:09 ET (16-Jun-2025 03:09 GMT/UTC)
What if the human body contained a natural bioreactor capable of regenerating vital organs? A collaborative team from Wenzhou Medical University, Nanjing University, and University of Macau has redefined the spleen’s potential, transforming it into a self-sustaining hub for organ regeneration, as published in Science Translational Medicine (May 21). This breakthrough could revolutionize treatments for type 1 diabetes and beyond.
Research from a team at University of Michigan reveals that for Ce. elegans worms, the presence of dead members of their species has profound behavioral and physiological effects, leading them to more quickly reproduce and shortening their lifespans.
Scientists aiming to advance cancer diagnostics have developed a machine learning tool that is able to identify metabolism-related molecular profile differences between patients with colorectal cancer and healthy people.
For gene therapy to work well, therapeutic molecules need to be efficiently delivered to the correct locations in the body—a job commonly given to adeno-associated viruses (AAV).
To improve the AAV’s ability to deliver therapeutics specifically to the lungs and airway, Mass General Brigham researchers developed and applied a new version, called AAV.CPP.16, that can be administered with a nasal spray. In preclinical models, the innovative tool outperformed previous versions by more effectively targeting the airway and lungs and showing promise for respiratory and lung gene therapy. Results are published in Cell Reports Medicine.
A new study from UBC Okanagan says students appear to be using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) responsibly, and as a way to speed up tasks, not just boost their grades.
Dr. Meaghan MacNutt, who teaches professional ethics in the UBCO School of Health and Exercise Sciences (HES), recently published a study in Advances in Physiology Education. Published this month, the paper—titled Reflective writing assignments in the era of GenAI: student behaviour and attitudes suggest utility, not futility—contradicts common concerns about student use of AI.