The secret ingredient is time: The role of timing in brain development
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Jun-2026 03:16 ET (26-Jun-2026 07:16 GMT/UTC)
Researchers from The University of Osaka have found that the rat brain differs from other mammals in the proportion of upper and deep layer neurons in the cortex. This change likely arises from differences in the timing of signaling pathways during early brain development. Importantly, this identified mechanism may have future applications in regenerative medicine for developmental and neurological disorders.
This four-paper Series and accompanying comments examine the growing but under-recognised burden of chronic liver disease in Europe, with a focus on steatotic liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and alcohol-related liver disease, along with viral hepatitis B and C. The Series provides country-level data on MASLD policies, analyses systemic failures in prevention, timely detection, and equitable access to care across diverse populations and health systems; and evaluates policy gaps, health system responses, and innovations in diagnostics, care models, and public health strategies. The Series calls for the rapid integration of metabolic liver health into non-communicable disease frameworks, strengthened surveillance and care pathways, and coordinated, equity-driven, and preventative approaches to identify the “missing millions” and reduce the rising human and economic toll of chronic liver disease across the region.
Chromosome numbers and cell size fuel cancer progression, according to new studies published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Cancer Research.
Researchers have discovered how part of the body’s immune system could better combat a leading cause of death for people with cystic fibrosis (CF).
A team led by The University of Queensland's Professor Peter Sly and Dr Abdullah Tarique has identified how macrophages – the white blood cells that fight infection in the body – function differently in people with CF, compared to others.
Early-onset intervertebral disc degeneration is partly driven by cellular senescence, yet effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited. Researchers report that the senolytic combination dasatinib and quercetin reduces senescence markers, inflammatory signaling, and degenerative tissue changes in a genetic mouse model of disc disease. In contrast, navitoclax shows no benefit. The study identifies JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) signaling as a key pathway underlying disease progression and therapeutic response, highlighting a potential strategy for slowing spinal disc degeneration.