Researchers from Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1423 – Structural Dynamics of GPCR Activation and Signaling – at Leipzig University and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg have discovered in a joint project how unstructured segments of surface proteins regulate the biological function of a cell. Their study, recently published in the renowned journal Nature Communications, sheds new light on the interplay between G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) – located in the membranes of nearly all body cells – the messengers that activate them, and the signalling processes within a target cell. This interplay has a major role in drug discovery.

Hypoxia, or low oxygen in the body, is common in solid tumors. Now, researchers have identified that an RNA molecule, EUDAL, enables oral cancer cells to resist chemotherapy by keeping a growth receptor permanently switched on under low-oxygen conditions. This drives autophagy, a cellular process that helps tumors evade treatment. These findings suggest that EUDAL is both a warning sign for poor treatment response and a potential therapeutic target, offering new hope against stubborn cancers.

A large cross-sectional study of 8,412 first-grade children in Shanghai, led by Southeast University researchers, found that dietary preferences may influence asthma risk. Children who favored pickled and smoked foods were nearly twice as likely to develop asthma, and girls preferring fried foods showed a particularly strong association. Conversely, seafood preference in normal-weight children was linked to reduced asthma risk. The findings highlight diet as a potential target for childhood asthma prevention strategies.

The Hebrew University team has developed the first binder-free method for 3D printing glass, using light to trigger a chemical reaction that directly forms silica structures without the need for organic additives or extreme heat. This breakthrough makes glass printing faster, cleaner, and more precise, with potential to revolutionize fields from optics to medicine by enabling custom, high-performance glass components that were previously impossible to manufacture.