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Category: health – Page 13

New gene tool leads to better treatments for complex diseases

Genetic changes can signal evidence of disease, but pinpointing which genes and what’s changed can be difficult.

But in a study of traits that offer clues to a person’s —such as lipid and and inflammation—a team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University devised a and tool to improve how genes and genetic changes that cause diseases are identified.

Their new approach could allow doctors to detect and treat so-called cardiometabolic diseases earlier in their development. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

Is Intelligence Genetic? Scientists Discover Heritable Brain State That Powers Cognitive Flexibility

Brain dynamics and cognition share genetic roots. Criticality may guide future brain health research. A recent study published on June 24 in PNAS presents strong evidence that brain criticality—the delicate balance between neural excitation and inhibition—is heavily influenced by genetic factors

Mysterious New Structure Discovered Hiding Inside Human Cells

After centuries of mapping the human body in ever-finer detail, scientists are still making discoveries. Here we are, in 2025, and a previously unknown cellular structure that could be vital to our health has just been added to the anatomy books.

The membrane-bound organelle appears to play a huge role in helping cells sort, discard, and recycle their contents. It’s called a hemifusome, and a team of scientists says it could shed new light on disease.

“This is like discovering a new recycling center inside the cell,” said biophysicist Seham Ebrahim of the University of Virginia. “We think the hemifusome helps manage how cells package and process material, and when this goes wrong, it may contribute to diseases that affect many systems in the body.”

Activin-A: Muscle Weakness In Cancer Survivors May Be Treatable

Tumors can destroy the blood vessels of muscles even when the muscles are nowhere close to the tumor. That is the key finding of a new study that my colleagues and I recently published in the journal Nature Cancer.

Muscle loss in cancer patients is a major health problem, but the exact causes of how precisely tumors affect muscles remain an active area of research.

Scientists in my lab were curious whether one explanation for the muscle loss in cancer patients could be that the cancer impairs the blood vessels that are necessary to supply nutrients and oxygen to muscles. Healthy blood vessels ensure that blood containing oxygen and nutrients is transported from the heart to all tissues and organs in the body, and then circulates back to the heart. Unhealthy blood vessels lose the ability to circulate sufficient blood and develop leaks, with nutrients seeping into the tissue prematurely and thereby cutting off the supply of nutrients to tissues that are further downstream.

LLNL researchers use AI to look for potential ALS treatments

Potential treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases may already be out there in the form of drugs prescribed for other conditions. A team of researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) are using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to try to find them.

Clinical trials for new drugs can take up to 5–7 years, so repurposing existing drugs is one of the best ways to deliver treatments quickly. AI/ML can make it even faster. By analyzing long-term electronic health records (EHRs) of patients with ALS, the team can identify drugs — or combinations of drugs — prescribed for other conditions that may influence the progression of the disease. The drugs’ “off-target” effects may not only affect patient survival but also provide insight into how neurodegenerative diseases work and inform better therapies.

“If you talk to any ALS caregiver, you will be moved because the disease has such a grim prognosis, so being able to do something is tremendously motivating,” said Priyadip Ray, a staff scientist in LLNL’s Computational Engineering Division (CED) who leads the effort.

The Dawn of Tesla’s Robotaxi Network & Automated Transportation

Tesla’s launch of a robo-taxi network marks the beginning of a significant transportation disruption that will transform mobility, economy, geopolitics, and urban landscapes with the widespread adoption of electric autonomous vehicles ## ## Questions to inspire discussion.

Transportation Revolution.

🚗 Q: How will Tesla’s Robotaxi network impact transportation? A: Tesla’s Robotaxi network in Austin, Texas marks the ignition point for transportation disruption, with multiple companies competing to provide taxi rides without human drivers, potentially capturing 80–90% market share in 10–15 years.

🛢️ Q: What industries will be disrupted by autonomous electric vehicles? A: Autonomous electric vehicles will disrupt the oil and agriculture industries, as vehicles are the number one users of crude oil, and corn is the top agricultural product in the US, used to produce ethanol for gasoline.

🌆 Q: How will urban planning change with the rise of autonomous vehicles? A: Cities will repurpose parking spaces for retail, living areas, and solar panels, transforming urban planning and enabling new forms of transportation, including drones and aircraft.

Environmental Impact.

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