(WASHINGTON, May 20, 2026) – Many cases of iron deficiency in school-aged children could be diagnosed earlier, according to a new study published in Blood Red Cells & Iron, a journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). By applying a higher ferritin threshold than used in current guidelines, researchers found that iron deficiency in U.S. children 5 to 14 years may be more common than previously thought and could be diagnosed earlier in many cases. 

A new University of Waterloo study suggests that dietary vitamin C may help reduce cancer risk linked to nitrates and nitrites commonly found in foods such as cured meats and some vegetables. Using mathematical modelling, researchers examined how these compounds behave during digestion and found that vitamin C can inhibit “nitrosation,” a chemical process in the stomach that produces substances suspected of increasing cancer risk. The model showed that foods naturally containing both nitrates and vitamin C, such as leafy greens, may be less harmful than previously thought, and that vitamin C supplements taken with meals could moderately reduce the formation of cancer‑associated compounds.

The American Heart Association’s Teen of Impact campaign names Leonardo Oliveira the 2026 National Teen of Impact Winner

The 2026 Gruber Genetics Prize is being awarded to Alan G Hinnebusch, PhD, a Distinguished Investigator at the National Institutes of Health, for his pioneering work that established both the paradigm and the detailed mechanism of translational control that underlies the Integrated Stress Response, a pivotal mechanism whereby eukaryotic cells reprogram protein synthesis under stress.

In a series of forward genetics screens in budding yeast, Hinnebusch identified mutations in the kinase Gcn2, which phosphorylates the key translation initiation factor eIF2, and Gcn4, a key transcription factor that controls genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis.

Hinnebusch demonstrated that the phosphorylation of eIF2 suppresses global protein synthesis and selectively induces the master transcription factor Gcn4. This translational control mechanism is broadly conserved from yeast to humans.

Hinnebusch’s work has led to a greater understanding of how cells respond to stressors such as amino acid starvation and viral infections. Dysregulation of the integrated stress response has been linked to neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders and cancer.

The study identified cultivars that maintain high productivity and resilience against attacks from the disease, paving the way for more sustainable cultivation in the region. An increase in production of up to 32% was observed in varieties with high adaptive capacity and strengthened by nutrition that ensures vigor and resistance, compared to varieties more susceptible to the fungus.