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Scientists have discovered that vanillin, the compound that gives vanilla its distinctive flavor, has powerful properties that could help fight infections, reduce inflammation, and promote wound healing. The inexpensive, widely available ingredient could one day become an important component of advanced wound treatments and regenerative medicine.

Unlike other poisonous animals, bees use a strange set of pistons to pump toxin

Algorithm looks for clues about a paper’s origin that text-based detectors miss

Getting better sleep might be as simple as moving a little more every day. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin found that people who exercised more frequently experienced more deep, restorative sleep, which is essential for brain recovery, memory, and emotional well-being. Surprisingly, just 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day was associated with measurable benefits, while even light activities like walking and standing breaks were linked to better sleep and mood.

Mathematics may hold unexpected clues to understanding Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists have developed a model showing how common metals like copper and zinc may influence the buildup of proteins associated with the disease, while also exploring possible ways to stop the process. The findings could help researchers identify promising strategies for preventing harmful plaque formation.

Scientists have developed an experimental injection that destroys fat cells and significantly reduces dangerous belly fat, potentially opening a new path to treating obesity. Early research also suggests it could help prevent the weight regain that often follows stopping popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Organ-level investigations provide insights into inter-individual heterogeneity in health and disease, yet aging across organs and systems remains incompletely understood. Leveraging plasma proteomic data from 53,014 UK Biobank participants, we construct 16 organ- and system-specific aging clocks that show 5436 significant associations with 1059 diseases (i.e., 655 incident and 404 prevalent diseases) and widespread responses to 841 diverse environmental factors, highlighting organ-specific and...

Understanding the genetic and epigenetic regulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is essential for elucidating mechanisms of aging and disease. Long-read sequencing can span the mitochondrial genome and capture base-modification signals, yet analytical tools remain limited. We developed Himito, a graph-based toolkit for analyzing mitochondrial genome using long reads. Himito filters reads originating from nuclear mitochondrial insertions (NUMTs), constructs a sequence graph to represent mtDNA...

By 2050, almost 1 billion people are expected to live with osteoarthritis-a disabling musculoskeletal condition with currently no cure. Despite its burden and costs, osteoarthritis remains largely invisible in national and global health agendas, is poorly integrated within service models for other chronic health conditions, and is frequently perceived as inevitable with ageing and associated with limited therapeutic options. This context drives an osteoarthritis identity problem that fuels...

Scientists have discovered a hidden cleanup system at the back of the eye that drains fluid and waste through a previously unknown pathway. The surprising finding, demonstrated in mice, could open the door to new treatments for glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other causes of blindness.

A simple change in the order you eat your food could help prevent blood sugar spikes. Scientists discovered that giving mice olive oil before carbohydrates slowed digestion and activated a surprising combination of hormones and nerve signals that helped regulate blood sugar, even in mice with type 2 diabetes.