Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) represents a paradigm of targeted therapy in hematologic malignancies. Once regarded as the most fatal form of leukemia due to its rapid onset and severe hemorrhagic risk, APL was fundamentally transformed in the 20th century when Dr. Tingdong Zhang from Harbin Medical University, China discovered that arsenic trioxide (ATO) could effectively treat patients, achieving remission rates of up to 90% and converting it into the most curable acute leukemia. Extensive mechanistic studies have demonstrated that ATO exerts therapeutic effects by inducing apoptosis and promoting differentiation of APL cells. More recently, a study published in Science Bulletin using single-cell sequencing further revealed that ATO not only directly eliminates leukemic cells but also reshapes the tumor microenvironment through modulation of lymphocyte activity, underscoring its multifaceted role in APL treatment.

Penn researchers have developed a groundbreaking AI-powered device that turns ordinary glasses into a smart, energy-efficient health monitor by watching you blink. The device, called BlinkWise, uses radio signals to track eyelid movements with unprecedented detail, all while preserving privacy and using minimal power. The technology opens doors for assessing fatigue, mental workload and eye-related health issues in real-world settings, from long-haul trucking to everyday office work. 

The brain, one of the most sophisticated and complex organs, remains a mystery in many aspects of its function. Scientists in Switzerland and China developed a groundbreaking hybrid imaging platform—HyFMRI—to simultaneously capture the dynamic activity of neurons, astrocytes, and hemodynamic responses. The technology, demonstrated in a mouse model, enables unprecedented studies of brain activity, opening new frontiers for understanding neuro-glial-vascular coupling in health and disease.