Spirostomum uses a calcium-activated protein network to contract at remarkable speed without conventional muscle fibers. In less than five milliseconds, the aquatic single-celled organism Spirostomum ambiguum can shrink to one quarter of its body length, a movement hundreds of times faster than a human blink. Researchers have now traced that speed to an unusual calcium-activated [...]

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that a signaling mechanism in the cells’ ‘antennae’ may help explain why some fetuses develop disease in both the heart and other organs. About two of every 100 babies worldwide are born with congenital heart disease, but the biological processes responsible for these conditions are not fully understood. [...]

A protein known for circulating in the blood to fight infection plays a very different role when produced by cells inside tumors. A protein that emerged long before animals developed circulatory systems may influence whether cancer immunotherapy succeeds. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan found that complement C3 helps keep immunosuppressive cells out of tumors, [...]

A protein and signaling pathway may help overcome the developmental block that keeps some leukemia cells immature. Inside the bone marrow, immature blood cells normally pass through a tightly controlled sequence of development before taking on specialized roles. In aggressive forms of leukemia, some of these precursor cells become trapped partway through that process. Instead [...]

New research suggests that low oxygen levels may help alleviate disease caused by defects in mitochondrial quality control. Oxygen is essential for people—and most other organisms—but more is not always better. When oxygen accumulates beyond what cells can safely use, it can become toxic and contribute to serious health problems. In the brain, excess oxygen [...]

A Yale-led study uncovered unexpected communication between retinal visual pathways that were thought to operate separately. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) have discovered unexpected insights into how the eye handles visual information. When we view a scene, the visual system quickly separates different features, including color, contrast, and motion, and processes them independently. [...]

A new study suggests that overstimulating key cancer-growth pathways, rather than shutting them down, could offer a novel way to target pancreatic tumors driven by KRAS mutations. New research points to a possible way to fight pancreatic cancer by turning the disease’s own growth signals against it. The research, published in the journal Aging, focused [...]

Scientists studying the remarkable regenerative abilities of planarian flatworms have uncovered a previously unknown type of immune cell with an unusually destructive defense strategy. What if an immune cell could wipe out nearby threats by detonating itself? That is exactly what Stanford researchers have discovered in one of nature’s most unlikely creatures: the planarian flatworm. [...]

A newly discovered genetic clock acts as the body’s developmental timekeeper, coordinating the bursts of gene activity needed for growth. Scientists found that when this clock breaks down, development comes to a halt. Think about a train sitting at a station. Passengers have boarded, conductors are checking tickets, and everything is ready to go. But [...]

Detached sea cucumber tissue survived, healed, and grew for years in natural seawater, revealing a remarkable new model for regeneration and biomedical research. A chance observation has led scientists to a discovery that challenges one of biology’s most basic assumptions: that detached animal tissue eventually dies. Instead, researchers found that tissue removed from a sea [...]

Scientists found that aging may begin with a hidden cellular remodel that could help drive disease later in life. Thanks to advances in public health, people are living longer than ever before. However, many of those extra years are accompanied by chronic illnesses rather than good health. Aging is a normal part of life, but [...]

A vitamin D-based therapy may help remodel the protective barrier surrounding pancreatic tumors, offering a potential new treatment strategy. Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat in part because tumors surround themselves with a dense, protective barrier that blocks drugs and suppresses immune activity. Now, a small clinical trial led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer [...]

A new AI framework called MouseMapper allows scientists to examine disease-related changes across the entire body at cellular resolution. Obesity does much more than affect metabolism and fat storage. It also changes immune activity, nerve structure, and tissue organization throughout the body, raising the risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, [...]

Scientists identified phosphatidylcholine loss as a key driver of mitochondrial aging and showed that restoring it can rejuvenate cellular energy networks. Why do cells age, and why do people gradually lose energy and vitality over time? Scientists have long focused on mitochondria, the tiny structures inside cells responsible for producing energy. Researchers now understand that [...]

Stanford researchers have developed a microscope that can show how nanostructures interact inside living cells at the highest resolution achieved so far. The view into living cells just got better. Stanford researchers have merged two microscopy methods to build a unique instrument that can capture cell structures interacting in real time at an unprecedented resolution [...]

A new evolutionary analysis suggests that modern blood and immune cells may preserve a 700-million-year legacy inherited from ancient single-celled ancestors. Long before humans, dinosaurs, or even fish existed, ancient single-celled organisms may have already carried the genetic blueprint for one of the body’s most important systems: blood. A new study from Kyoto University suggests [...]

Scientists are discovering that some of the cells linked to aging may also be key to staying healthy. A growing body of research is changing how scientists view one of aging biology’s most studied cell types: senescent cells, often called “zombie cells.” While these cells have long been associated with aging and chronic disease, new [...]

A remarkable new study of the world’s oldest verified living person reveals a surprising picture of extreme longevity. Maria Branyas lived through two world wars, the 1918 flu pandemic, the Spanish Civil War, and COVID-19. When she died in 2024 at age 117 years and 168 days, she was the oldest verified living person in [...]