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Category: biotech/medical – Page 9

High-dose birth control pills linked to elevated fear in safe contexts

A new study published in Neuropsychopharmacology suggests that the use of oral contraceptives may influence how the brain regulates fear responses in safe environments. The research indicates that women who use birth control pills, particularly those with higher doses of synthetic estrogen, may experience elevated fear in safe contexts compared to women who have never used hormonal contraception. The findings also imply that these alterations in fear processing could persist for a significant period after an individual stops taking the medication.

Anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder are nearly twice as prevalent in women as they are in men. Biological factors likely contribute to this disparity, with sex hormones acting as potential mediators. Specifically, the hormone estradiol plays a significant role in how the brain manages fear and memory.

Effective fear regulation requires the ability to distinguish between a threat and a safety signal based on the surrounding environment. For example, seeing a snake in a forest might require a fear response, while seeing a snake in a zoo enclosure should not. This process is known as contextual fear regulation.

Neuroscientists link a common inflammatory molecule to the dopaminergic mechanisms of addiction

Treatments for autoimmune disorders might offer hope for methamphetamine addiction. Research published in Science Signaling indicates that blocking a specific immune protein dampens the drug’s effect on the brain’s reward centers.

Scientists Discover Natural Longevity Molecule That Restores Memory in Alzheimer’s Models

A longevity-linked metabolite restored key memory processes in Alzheimer’s models, highlighting aging biology as a promising therapeutic target. Singapore ranks among the countries with the longest life expectancy, yet many people spend nearly ten of their later years living with poor health. Res

Brain-derived tau for monitoring brain injury in acute ischemic stroke

Monitoring markers of tau protein in the blood can predict functional outcomes in patients recovering from ischemic stroke better than MRI, according to a comprehensive study of more than 1,200 patients in ScienceTranslationalMedicine.

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Sci. Transl. Med. 18, eadz1280 (2026). DOI:10.1126/scitranslmed.adz1280

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The protein periostin may promote the spread of pancreatic cancer—and pain—through nerves

A new Brazilian study has revealed the key role of the protein periostin and stellate pancreatic cells in allowing pancreatic cancer to infiltrate nerves and spread early, increasing the risk of metastasis. The research demonstrates how the tumor reprograms part of the surrounding healthy tissue to acquire a high capacity for invasion. This mechanism is associated with the aggressiveness of the disease and the difficulty of treatment. It also points to possible targets for more precise therapies and personalized treatments.

The findings are published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology.

The most common type of pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma, which originates in the glandular tissue that produces pancreatic juice. It accounts for 90% of diagnosed cases. Although it is not among the most frequent types of cancer, it is considered an aggressive and highly lethal tumor, with a mortality rate almost equivalent to its incidence rate. Globally, there are approximately 510,000 new cases and nearly the same number of deaths each year.

Tuning spin waves—using commercially available devices at room temperature

Physicist Davide Bossini from the University of Konstanz has recently demonstrated how to change the frequency of the collective magnetic oscillations of a material by up to 40%—using commercially available devices at room temperature.

“We now have a full picture,” Bossini says. For years, the physicist from the University of Konstanz has studied how to use light to control the collective magnetic oscillations of a material—known as magnons. In the summer of 2025, he was finally able to show how to change the “magnetic DNA” of a material via the interaction between light and magnons.

He now demonstrates how the frequency of oscillations can be controlled quasi instantly and on demand by means of a weak magnetic field and intense laser pulses. In this way, he can increase or decrease frequencies by up to 40%. The effect is due to the interaction of the optical excitation, magnetic anisotropy (directional dependence) and the external magnetic field.

Ultrasound-activated nanoparticles in immune cells trigger targeted inflammatory response

Piezoelectric nanoparticles deployed inside immune cells and stimulated remotely by ultrasound can trigger the body’s disease-fighting response, according to an interdisciplinary team of Boston College researchers.

The paper is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Chemists determine structure of fuzzy coat that surrounds Tau proteins

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is the clumping of proteins called Tau, which form tangled fibrils in the brain. The more severe the clumping, the more advanced the disease is.

The Tau protein, which has also been linked to many other neurodegenerative diseases, is unstructured in its normal state, but in the pathological state it consists of a well-ordered rigid core surrounded by floppy segments. These disordered segments form a “fuzzy coat” that helps determine how Tau interacts with other molecules.

MIT chemists have now shown, for the first time, they can use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to decipher the structure of this fuzzy coat. They hope their findings will aid efforts to develop drugs that interfere with Tau buildup in the brain.

Progress in stem cell-based embryo models and their applications in developmental biology and biomedicine

This Review discusses recent advances and key challenges in the development of human stem cell-based embryo models, and highlights their applications in fundamental biology and translational potential while emphasizing the importance of ethical frameworks and public engagement.

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