EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Infectious Diseases

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This month, we’re focusing on infectious diseases, a topic that affects lives and communities around the world. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how infectious diseases are being studied, prevented, and treated globally.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 17-Jun-2026 22:15 ET (18-Jun-2026 02:15 GMT/UTC)

16-Apr-2026

Link between male infertility and increased risk of cancer

Lund University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Men with severely reduced fertility are at greater risk of developing other health conditions later in life. A research team from Lund University in Sweden has now shown that these men are also more likely to develop colorectal cancer and thyroid cancer.

Journal: European Journal of Epidemiology
Funder: Skania University Hospital research fund, Regional ALF fund, Swedish Cancer Society

14-Apr-2026

AACR: UT MD Anderson shares latest breakthroughs in cancer research

University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Meeting Announcement

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present breakthrough studies at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026.

14-Apr-2026

Targeting stem-like cells in colorectal cancer

China Anti-Cancer Association
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Colorectal cancer often returns not because the main tumor survives, but because a small population of stem-like cancer cells can resist treatment, seed new growth, and drive aggressive spread.

Journal: Cancer Biology & Medicine

14-Apr-2026

New biomarker to determine whether immunotherapy may work in people with colon and rectal cancer

IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

At present, only around 5% of patients with colon cancer are candidates for immunotherapy. This new biomarker could make it possible to determine more accurately which individuals may receive this treatment with a likelihood of success and expand the number of patients who could benefit from it. The study, led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and IRB Barcelona, shows that the determination of this protein, CTHRC1, can be used to assess patient prognosis. At the same time, it opens up new avenues to approach this type of tumour. The research team has demonstrated that this biomarker can be detected using routine diagnostic tests in the clinical practice of any Pathology service.