A major study found that common dementia risks may have a much stronger impact on women’s brains than previously recognized. Women may not only experience some dementia risk factors more often than men, but those risk factors may also have a stronger effect on their cognitive health, according to new research from the University of [...]

Remote Scottish islands turned tiny wrens into giant birds that may be evolving into new species. Tiny wrens living on remote Scottish islands are providing scientists with a rare look at how evolution can reshape animals in isolated environments. A new study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham found that several island populations [...]

Since its molecular structure was deduced in the 1950s, DNA has been hailed by many biologists as the secret of life. They’ve read and studied the information stored in the DNA found in the cells of living organisms, known as their genomes, and claimed that this genetic database must be some kind of blueprint, code script, or computer. But if DNA really does harbor some greater secret about how…

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Someone's thrash is another one's treasure - this old saying has an entirely different meaning for an octopus.

Around 66 million years ago, an asteroid wiped out 75% of the species on Earth. This event caused the extinction of all dinosaurs except birds, referred to as non-avian dinosaurs. However, an open question in paleontology is whether the dinosaurs were already declining before the asteroid hit. Many scientists think that around 5 to 10 million years before the extinction event, dinosaurs became less biologically diverse across America, making them more prone to extinction. 

To investigate this hypothesis, scientists recently revisited fossils in a rock layer from the end of the dinosaur era that previous researchers had incorrectly dated. The bulk of the fossils from this period had previously been collected from a different section of rocks called the Hell Creek Formation in Montana. These researchers studied a rock layer in New Mexico that is exposed to the surface, known as the Naashoibito Member. It’s approximately 30 meters (about 100 feet) thick and formed from ancient river sediments. 

To determine when the Naashoibito Member formed, the scientists measured the decay of radioactive elements within its mineral grains over time, a technique called radiometric dating. The scientist reasoned that these mineral grains must have crystallized before being transported and incorporated into the Naashoibito Member, so their youngest ages should provide a maximum depositional age. 

They determined the ages of 1,046 crystals of the mineral feldspar from 2 dinosaur-bearing rock layers in the Naashoibito Member. Based on these ages, the researchers found that a sandstone within 5 meters (about 16 feet) of the lowest boundary of the Naashoibito Member must be younger than 66.9 million years old. They found that the other layer, which is around 3.5 meters (11 feet) from the base of the lowest boundary, must be younger than 66.4 million years old. These age ranges indicated that the sandstone contains dinosaur fossils formed 400,000 years before their extinction.

Next, the researchers measured the direction of magnetic minerals inside the rocks, using a practice called magnetostratigraphy. The direction of these minerals indicates where Earth’s magnetic field was pointing at that time. Scientists have shown that the Earth’s magnetic field has flipped multiple times over Earth’s history, so they can use these magnetic signals to create a timescale for when the sediments formed. 

The researchers wanted to determine whether the magnetic minerals were lined up in a direction like today, called normal polarity, or the opposite, called reverse polarity. The researchers found one rock layer with normal polarity at the base of the Naashoibito Member, and one with reverse polarity in the upper part of the Naashoibito Member. These magnetic field directions lined up with 2 known polarity intervals over a timeline that matched the feldspar dates. Together, these data demonstrated that the Naashoibito Member formed at the end of the dinosaur era, around the same time as the Hell Creek Formation.

Next, the researchers wanted to test whether non-avian dinosaurs maintained their diversity across different regions of Western North America during this time period. They compared fossil patterns from locations across North America using statistical grouping methods that determine how similar or different their environments were. They found that temperature, rather than geographical location alone, was the best predictor of diversity at the extinction event. 

The team concluded that a diverse population of Naashoibito dinosaurs lived at around the same time as the Hell Creek dinosaurs. Earlier scientists surmised that dinosaurs were already on the decline because they studied the colder northern regions, where diversity was lower. However, these results suggest that warmer conditions in the south still supported diverse dinosaur populations. Together, this evidence suggests that dinosaurs were still diverse and thriving 66 million years ago, and that their extinction was indeed a result of the asteroid impact.

 

The post Were dinosaurs doomed before the asteroid hit? appeared first on Sciworthy.

In a groundbreaking advance poised to transform the landscape of age-related immune decline, University College London (UCL) researchers are spearheading a pioneering clinical trial aimed at rejuvenating worn-out T cells through an innovative immune restoration therapy. This Phase 1 first-in-human study will explore the therapeutic potential of metabolically resetting exhausted or senescent T cells, a subset of immune cells that accumulate with age and chronic disease and lose their robustness in coordinating immune responses. The initiative promises to reopen avenues for combating a spectrum of diseases, including cancer, HIV, and neurodegenerative disorders like dementia, by profoundly modifying the immune system’s intrinsic capacity to defend and repair.

Central to the research is the recognition that immune ageing, characterized by the progressive dysfunction and decline in immune cell performance, is a key factor leading to increased vulnerability in the elderly and those with chronic infections. T cells, particularly the CD4+ subtype—often regarded as the conductors of the immune orchestra—become less effective with time, diminishing the immune system’s ability to coordinate defenses accurately. These cells, rendered senescent or exhausted, exhibit impaired proliferation, cytokine production, and cytotoxic activity, undermining responses to pathogens, malignancies, and cellular damage.

The novel therapy, developed by SenTcell, a biotech startup founded by Dr. Alessio Lanna from UCL Medicine, employs a liquid formulation administered intramuscularly akin to conventional vaccines. This delivery method facilitates patient-friendly administration while targeting key metabolic pathways within dysfunctional T cells. By reprogramming the intracellular environment of these immune cells, the treatment aims to restore youthful functional properties, including enhanced proliferative capacity and efficient pathogen recognition, thereby revitalizing the immune system’s broad protective functions.

Dr. Lanna explains that although antiretroviral advancements have significantly improved lifespans for individuals living with HIV, many still experience premature immune ageing. Similar patterns of immune exhaustion are also detected in cancer patients and other chronic disease cohorts. The imminent clinical trial represents a critical stepping stone towards verifying whether exhausted immune cells can be safely and effectively rejuvenated in human subjects, with the potential to redefine therapeutic paradigms for diseases rooted in immune dysregulation.

At the molecular level, one of the intriguing aspects under investigation involves the role of telomeres—protective caps on chromosome ends whose shortening serves as a hallmark of biological ageing. Laboratory studies have suggested that rejuvenated CD4+ T cells may release telomere-containing extracellular structures, whimsically termed “telomere Rivers,” into the bloodstream. The presence and behavior of these structures might offer novel insights into how restored immune cells influence systemic health, extending their benefits beyond immediate immune niches to broader tissue health. Although this phenomenon has yet to be validated in human clinical contexts, it highlights the sophisticated interplay between immune rejuvenation and organismal aging.

The clinical trial enjoys regulatory support from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) through its Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP), underscoring the therapy’s potential to meet the pressing unmet medical needs associated with immune senescence. This endorsement accelerates development timelines and affirms the significance of targeting immune metabolic dysfunction as a viable therapeutic strategy.

Participants in the upcoming Phase 1 trial will be meticulously selected adults exhibiting characteristics of immune dysfunction, including evidence of premature immune ageing or persistent viral infections. Comprehensive immune profiling will be conducted before and after therapeutic administration to discern immunological changes and safety outcomes. Although the initial focus is on evaluating biological activity and tolerability, successful results could pave the way for advanced trials assessing clinical efficacy.

Unlike conventional treatments that combat diseases by targeting individual pathogens or tumor cells directly, this therapy seeks to recalibrate the immune system itself—restoring its intrinsic resilience and regenerative functionality. Such a paradigm shift holds profound implications; by enhancing the immune system’s natural defensive repertoire, it may afford broad-spectrum protection and facilitate healthier ageing trajectories.

Beyond chronic infections like HIV and cancer, this approach could ultimately apply to autoimmune disorders characterized by immune exhaustion, wherein overly active yet dysfunctional immune cells drive pathology. Immune rejuvenation strategies offer a novel means of restoring balance without broadly suppressing immune activity, potentially mitigating disease progression while improving quality of life.

This research aligns with a growing global focus on understanding the cellular and molecular underpinnings of ageing and immune decline. By intervening at the level of T cell metabolism and function, scientists hope to extend not only lifespan but healthspan—preserving cognitive and physical function while reducing susceptibility to infections, cancer, and degenerative diseases.

As UCL celebrates two centuries of academic excellence and innovation, this project embodies the institution’s commitment to translating bold scientific ideas into therapies capable of reshaping medicine. If validated through clinical trials, this immune rejuvenation therapy could herald a transformative era in treating age-associated diseases, offering hope for millions affected by immune dysfunction worldwide.

Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Immune Rejuvenation: UCL’s Pioneering Trial Targets T Cell Exhaustion to Combat Age-Related Immune Decline
News Publication Date: Not provided
Web References: www.ucl.ac.uk
References: Not provided
Image Credits: Not provided
Keywords: Immune ageing, T cell exhaustion, CD4+ T cells, immune rejuvenation, senescent immune cells, telomeres, immune dysfunction, chronic disease, HIV, cancer, metabolic resetting, Phase 1 clinical trial

University of California, Riverside’s Professor Eric Schwitzgebel and University of Lisbon postdoctoral researcher Jeremy Pober argue that consciousness is substrate flexible, meaning it can arise not just in the biological tissue we find on Earth, but potentially in radically different physical materials found elsewhere in the cosmos.

The post Consciousness is Not Exclusive to Earth’s Biology, Philosophers Argue appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Across the expansive military installations of the United States, where substantial tracts of restricted-access natural lands persist, an evolving challenge has taken shape: how to effectively conserve endangered species amid overlapping and often conflicting recovery plans. These lands, which serve dual purposes of defense readiness and environmental stewardship, present a unique ecological puzzle. Amid this complexity, researchers at Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment have embarked on pioneering projects funded by two $2 million grants, aiming to redefine conservation strategies on military properties by emphasizing ecosystem-wide management rather than isolated species-specific interventions.

Historically, wildlife management on military bases has heavily relied on individual species’ recovery plans, a methodology that becomes problematic when multiple endangered species inhabit the same territory. Each species’ plan often prescribes distinct conservation actions, potentially leading to redundant efforts, increased management complexity, and sometimes conflicting directives. Recognizing these inefficiencies, the Virginia Tech research initiative seeks to develop integrated strategies that optimize land management actions to benefit diverse species assemblages simultaneously. This integrative approach has the potential not only to streamline operational practices on military lands but also to serve as a scalable model for ecosystems worldwide grappling with multifaceted conservation demands.

One cornerstone of this research is led by Assistant Professor Elizabeth Hunter, who operates within the U.S. Geological Survey’s Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Hunter’s project area in southeastern Georgia—including large military bases characterized by fire-managed ecosystems—examines the application of prescribed burning as a habitat management tool. Prescribed fire has traditionally been tailored around a handful of focal species, such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, leaving many other species with differing ecological needs inadequately addressed. Hunter’s work challenges this paradigm by employing cutting-edge monitoring technologies to survey a wide spectrum of taxa, from avian and mammalian species to amphibians, reptiles, insects, and crucial pollinators, aiming to capture a comprehensive biological response to various fire regimes.

By integrating extensive biodiversity data into a sophisticated multi-objective optimization framework, Hunter’s team can evaluate how different prescribed burning strategies affect numerous species simultaneously. This analytical tool allows for the assessment of trade-offs and synergies in conservation outcomes, addressing complex ecological interactions. The methodology asks crucial questions such as whether it is possible to adjust burn frequency, intensity, and spatial patterns to enhance habitats for multiple species concurrently. Such questions are vital for military land managers, who must balance ecosystem health with operational imperatives. Collaborations with organizations like the Orianne Society and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement anchor this work in both academic and applied conservation contexts.

Parallel to Hunter’s fire ecology focus, Associate Professor Haldre Rogers directs research tackling the inefficiencies inherent in the current species-by-species recovery plan framework under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Rogers’ project, focused on the Marianas Islands, explores whether ecosystem-wide habitat management can serve as an effective surrogate for the management of multiple individually listed species. Given that military lands often harbor dozens of endangered species with overlapping but separate recovery plans, the question arises: can habitat proxies be identified that allow for effective ecosystem-level conservation without the cumbersome requirement of separate interventions and monitoring for each species?

Rogers utilizes innovative ecosystem hypergraph modeling to encapsulate the intricate web of species interactions, habitat connectivity, and life-history traits, thereby identifying clusters of species that might respond similarly to shared management actions. This approach strives to uncover ecological congruencies and potential conflicts, aiming to inform management choices that maximize conservation benefits while minimizing inadvertent harm to co-occurring species. The project acknowledges inevitable ecological trade-offs but aspires to equip land managers with a landscape-scale understanding that promotes more efficient and informed decision-making.

The ecological importance of military installations in the United States cannot be overstated. Many contain well-preserved habitats that have been safeguarded from urban development, offering refugia for imperiled species. Activities such as prescribed burning and restricted access have inadvertently preserved biodiversity hotspots. At the same time, these installations must fulfill critical defense and training missions, underscoring the need for a delicate balance between operational readiness and environmental stewardship. The innovations proposed by Hunter, Rogers, and their teams promise a new frontier in reconciling these dual mandates through science-driven, scalable conservation models.

Their research partnership traverses multiple disciplines and institutions, spanning Virginia Tech’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Statistics, collaborations with Rice University, Brown University, MIT, and contributions from postdoctoral scholars. This transdisciplinary approach enriches the projects with a fusion of ecological expertise, advanced computational modeling, and applied management perspectives. By leveraging emerging technologies and sophisticated analytical tools, these projects are poised to generate transformative insights relevant to conservation practitioners, policymakers, and military land managers alike.

In essence, these Virginia Tech-led studies embody a paradigm shift: transitioning from fragmented, species-specific management plans to holistic ecosystem-based strategies is both a necessity and an opportunity. This shift acknowledges the complex interdependencies among species and their habitats, calling for innovative methodologies that embrace ecological complexity rather than oversimplify it. For military lands, where the intersection of conservation and operational use is most pronounced, such research can catalyze both more effective biodiversity protection and enhanced land-use efficiency.

By integrating large-scale biological monitoring with computational optimization and ecosystem modeling, this research presents a robust framework for addressing the mounting challenges of endangered species management amid competing land uses. The implications extend far beyond military properties, offering a strategic blueprint adaptable to diverse ecosystems facing overlapping conservation mandates. The collective efforts spearheaded by Hunter and Rogers represent a significant leap forward in safeguarding the nation’s biological heritage through science-guided stewardship, setting the stage for broader applications in the global conservation community.

As endangered species faces continue to escalate globally, the insights arising from military installation ecosystems can inform best practices worldwide. The integration of multi-species data into management decisions, the recognition of ecosystem processes over isolated species needs, and the embracing of technological and analytical innovation underscore the future of conservation science. In a world of finite conservation resources and competing priorities, finding operationally feasible yet ecologically sound approaches is paramount.

These projects, supported by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, exemplify such an approach, bridging theoretical science and practical land management. Their success will not only enhance the resilience of endangered species populations on military lands but also serve as a clarion call to redefine conservation paradigms universally. Ultimately, their work invites a transformative dialogue around how humanity navigates the complex stewardship of nature amid modern societal demands.

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Subject of Research:
Endangered species management on military lands through ecosystem-based strategies and multi-species conservation optimization.

Article Title:
Rethinking Conservation: Integrated Ecosystem Management for Endangered Species on Military Installations

News Publication Date:
Not provided

Web References:

• Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment: https://cnre.vt.edu/
• Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation: https://fishwild.vt.edu/
• Orianne Society: https://www.oriannesociety.org/
• National Council for Air and Stream Improvement: https://ncasi.org/

Image Credits:
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Hunter.

Keywords:
Endangered species, Extinction, Wildlife management, Conservation biology, Ecosystem management, Prescribed fire, Habitat connectivity, Multi-species optimization, Military land conservation, Ecosystem hypergraphs.

Ebola Virus Finds Sanctuary in the Brain: Breaking Ground with Human Cerebral Organoids

In a landmark study published in Nature Microbiology, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) have uncovered how the deadly Ebola virus can persist and replicate stealthily within the human central nervous system. By leveraging cutting-edge cerebral organoid models—three-dimensional brain-like structures derived from human pluripotent stem cells—the team has shed light on the viral mechanisms that allow long-term survival, raising critical implications for treatment and prevention strategies of Ebola virus disease (EVD).

It has long been a harrowing clinical observation that survivors of acute Ebola infections sometimes suffer relapses or develop inflammatory syndromes months or even years after recovery. This enduring threat is attributed to the virus’s ability to hide out in “immune-privileged” regions of the body—such as the central nervous system (CNS)—where the immune surveillance is deliberately restrained to protect vulnerable tissue from damaging inflammation. This latest research elucidates the ways Ebola virus exploits this sanctuary and endures prison-like conditions inside cerebral tissue without fully succumbing to immune clearance.

The team engineered cerebral organoids by coaxing human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into forming spherical, differentiated structures composed of multiple neural cell types: neurons, astrocytes, and microglia alike. These organoids mimic the cellular environment of the human brain closely enough to serve as a viable model to explore viral persistence with unprecedented resolution and relevance. Unlike traditional animal models, these human-derived organoids enable direct examination of host-virus interactions in a context that recapitulates human neuroanatomy and immunology.

Longitudinal infection experiments revealed that Ebola virus and related filoviruses—including Sudan, Reston, and Marburg viruses—could sustain active replication within these cerebral organoids for up to 120 days. More intriguingly, Ebola virus infected not just neurons but also astrocytes and microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. The virus exhibited two spreading modalities: direct cell-to-cell contact transmission as well as classical budding from host cells. This productive persistence clearly places the virus in an infectious, replicative state rather than a latent or inactive one.

Despite the robust production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by infected organoids, the innate immune responses orchestrated within this model failed to clear the infection entirely. The study observed an upregulation of immune and inflammatory markers at later stages, mirroring clinical presentations seen in Ebola virus disease survivors who develop delayed meningoencephalitis and other inflammatory sequelae. The data affirm that persistent filovirus infection in immune-privileged tissues contributes to localized inflammation, fostering neurological disease conditions even after primary viremia subsides.

At the molecular level, whole-genome sequencing of viral populations recovered from persistently infected organoids uncovered the presence of defective viral genomes (DVGs) and a spectrum of mutations emerging during chronic replication. DVGs are truncated or mutated forms of viral genomes known to modulate replication dynamics and immune evasion in other viral families. These defective genomes may allow the Ebola virus to dampen replication while maintaining a foothold inside host tissue, facilitating long-term survival without triggering overwhelming immune destruction.

Several mutations identified in the viral sequences corresponded to variants previously reported to attenuate replication in natural infections, while others were novel and uncharacterized. This emerging mutational landscape hints at an ongoing evolutionary arms race as the virus adapts to the CNS environment and immune pressures. Such adaptations could be critical determinants in the capacity of Ebola virus to establish persistent reservoirs and cause relapses.

This cerebral organoid model’s faithful recapitulation of human Ebola virus infection patterns underscores its utility as a powerful platform for mechanistic studies of viral persistence. Unlike animal models, which often fail to mimic intricate human neural immunology adequately, organoids offer a nearer-to-human experimental system. This breakthrough has potential ramifications for testing and optimizing targeted antiviral therapies aimed specifically at reservoirs residing in immune-privileged compartments.

Moreover, cerebral organoids provide an ethically favorable and scalable alternative to animal experiments, fostering more humane and potentially faster progress in infectious disease research. This innovation aligns with global efforts to reduce animal use in biomedical studies and to increase translational fidelity to human conditions.

Looking ahead, the research team emphasizes expanding their investigations to include other lesser-studied filoviruses such as Taï Forest, Bombali, and Bundibugyo viruses. Comprehensive deciphering of host–virus dynamics in such a model may unravel universal persistence mechanisms across filovirus species, informing cross-cutting therapeutic strategies. Crucially, this work also lays groundwork for exploring how viral persistence in the CNS intersects with immune modulation, neuroinflammation, and long-term neurological sequelae in EVD survivors.

Persistent Ebola infection in the brain highlights a formidable challenge for public health, given the potential for virus reactivation or even transmission from immune-privileged sanctuaries. This study delivers a compelling window into that hidden battleground, leveraging state-of-the-art human cellular models to confront a deadly pathogen’s stealth strategies. Unlocking the biology of Ebola’s cerebral persistence may ultimately pave the way for interventions that not only save lives during acute infection but also circumvent post-recovery complications and community outbreaks.

As our understanding deepens, harnessing cerebral organoids as investigative tools promises to revolutionize the study of neurotropic viral infections. The Mount Sinai and BNITM collaboration exemplifies how multidisciplinary, translational research can illuminate the dark corners of viral pathogenesis and guide clinical innovation for diseases once deemed intractable.

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Subject of Research: Animals (via human-derived cerebral organoids)

Article Title: Host–virus determinants of Ebola virus persistence in a human cerebral organoid model

News Publication Date: 12-Jun-2026

Web References:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-026-02388-2
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41564-026-02388-2

Keywords: Ebola virus, cerebral organoids, central nervous system, viral persistence, filoviruses, neuroinflammation, antiviral therapy, immune evasion, defective viral genomes, virus-host interaction

After finding a host and shedding its wings for good, a blood-feeding fly appears to sacrifice some of its vision to better support its parasitic lifestyle. Researchers from Aberystwyth University and the University of Florence have discovered that this major shift in behavior is accompanied by a significant change in the insects’ sensory systems. Deer [...]