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Category: biotech/medical

Nanoparticle–stem cell hybrids open a new horizon in bone regeneration

A research team in South Korea has successfully developed a novel technology that combines nanoparticles with stem cells to significantly improve 3D bone tissue regeneration. This advancement marks a step forward in the treatment of bone fractures and injuries, as well as in next-generation regenerative medicine.

The research is published in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.

Dr. Ki Young Kim and her team at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), in collaboration with Professor Laura Ha at Sunmoon University, have engineered a nanoparticle-stem cell hybrid, termed a nanobiohybrid by integrating mesoporous silica nanoparticles (mSiO₂ NPs) with human adipose-derived mesenchymal (hADMSCs). The resulting hybrid cells demonstrated markedly enhanced osteogenic (bone-forming) capability.

Interplay Between Aging and Glial Cell Dysfunction: Implications for CNS Health

Aging is accompanied by complex cellular and molecular changes that compromise CNS function. Among these, glial cells (astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) play a central role in maintaining neural homeostasis, modulating synaptic activity, and supporting metabolic demands. Emerging evidence indicates that aging disrupts glial cell physiology through processes including mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired proteostasis, chronic low-grade inflammation, and altered intercellular signaling. These alterations contribute to synaptic decline, myelin degeneration, and persistent, low-grade inflammation of the CNS. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the bidirectional relationship between aging and glial cell dysfunction, highlighting how age-related systemic and CNS-specific factors exacerbate glial impairments and, in turn, accelerate neural deterioration.

Immunomodulatory Role of Microbiota in Inflammation and Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent form of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 85% of all cases, and is associated with a poor prognosis. Despite significant advancements in treatment modalities, therapeutic efficacy remains suboptimal, underscoring the urgent need for novel strategies. In recent years, increasing attention has been directed toward the pivotal role of gut microbiota-host interactions in the treatment of NSCLC. This review systematically examines the influence of current NSCLC therapies on gut microbiota and metabolism, explores the relationship between the microbiome and therapeutic response, and highlights the critical functions of probiotics, microbial metabolites, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and dietary interventions in NSCLC management. By elucidating the mechanisms through which gut microbiota and their metabolites modulate treatment efficacy, we investigate the potential of exogenous interventions targeting the gut ecosystem to enhance therapeutic outcomes and mitigate adverse effects. Modulating the intestinal microbiota represents a promising clinical avenue and offers a new frontier for the development of future NSCLC treatment strategies.

The human microbiome comprises a diverse and dynamic community of microorganisms—including bacteria, fungi, viruses—their genetic material, and metabolic byproducts. The resident microbiota is an essential component of host health and homeostasis (1). Most microbiome research to date has focused on bacterial populations, which constitute a major proportion of these resident microbes (2). In the gut, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria dominate the bacterial composition (3– 5). The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in regulating host immunity and metabolism through the production of numerous metabolites that function as signaling molecules and metabolic substrates, linking dysbiosis with inflammation and tumorigenesis (6– 8).

The cross-link between gut microbiota and lung cancer is a complex multifactorial relationship. Studies have shown that in patients with lung cancer, the abundance of Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Spirochaetes increases in both pulmonary and intestinal microbiomes, while Firmicutes are significantly reduced (4, 9). Research on both gut and respiratory tract microbiota has revealed notable dysregulation in NSCLC, which is further associated with distant metastasis (DM) (10). The pathogenic contribution of the gut microbiome and its specific metabolites to NSCLC lies in their modulation of chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation (11). A study combining serum metabolomics and fecal microbiome profiling identified potential biomarkers in patients with early-stage NSCLC. The metabolomic analysis revealed elevated levels of sphingolipids (e.g. D-erythrosphingosine 1-phosphate, palmitoylsphingomyelin), fatty acyls (e.g.

Scientists Discover a Diet That Can Prevent and Reverse a Key Type of Heart Disease

Researchers discovered that a nutrient-matched, plant-based diet could prevent and reverse a hidden form of heart disease in hypertensive rats. A new study from researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University reports that a diet centered on fruits, vegetables, nut

Magnetic nanoparticles that successfully navigate complex blood vessels may be ready for clinical trials

Every year, 12 million people worldwide suffer a stroke; many die or are permanently impaired. Currently, drugs are administered to dissolve the thrombus that blocks the blood vessel. These drugs spread throughout the entire body, meaning a high dose must be administered to ensure that the necessary amount reaches the thrombus. This can cause serious side effects, such as internal bleeding.

Since medicines are often only needed in specific areas of the body, has long been searching for a way to use microrobots to deliver pharmaceuticals to where they need to be: in the case of a stroke, directly to the stroke-related thrombus.

Now, a team of researchers at ETH Zurich has made major breakthroughs on several levels. They have published their findings in Science.

Exploring the Multifaceted Landscape of MASLD: A Comprehensive Synthesis of Recent Studies, from Pathophysiology to Organoids and Beyond

Soft drink consumption is linked to an increased risk of major depressive disorder and greater depressive symptom severity, mediated by changes in gut microbiota, particularly Eggerthella abundance.

Question Is soft drink consumption related to depression diagnosis and severity, and is this association mediated by gut microbiome alteration?

Findings In this cohort study, soft drink consumption was significantly associated with diagnosis of major depressive disorder, as well as depression severity, across a single-study cohort of 932 clinically diagnosed patients and healthy controls. This association was significantly mediated by Eggerthela abundance in female patients and controls.

Meaning Education, prevention strategies, and policies aiming to reduce soft drink consumption are urgently required to mitigate depressive symptoms; in addition, interventions for depression targeting the microbiome composition appear promising.

Study reveals how uterine contractions are regulated by stretch and pressure during childbirth

When labor begins, the uterus must coordinate rhythmic, well-timed contractions to deliver the baby safely. While hormones such as progesterone and oxytocin are key contributors to that process, scientists have long suspected that physical forces—in this case, the stretching and pressure that accompany pregnancy and delivery—also play a role.

Now, a new study from Scripps Research published in Science, reveals how the uterus senses and responds to those forces at a molecular level. The findings could help scientists better understand the biological roots of conditions such as stalled labor and , guiding future efforts to develop treatments that improve maternal care.

“As the fetus grows, the uterus expands dramatically, and those physical forces reach their peak during delivery,” says senior author Ardem Patapoutian, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and the Presidential Endowed Chair in Neurobiology at Scripps Research.

Study uncovers distinct genetic blueprints for early- and late-onset depression

A new study is providing a clearer picture of the genetic landscape of major depression, revealing that the disorder may have fundamentally different biological roots depending on the age at which it first appears. The research, published in Nature Genetics, found that depression beginning in adolescence or young adulthood has a stronger genetic basis, is linked to early brain development, and carries a much higher genetic association with suicide attempts compared to depression that starts later in life.

Major depressive disorder is recognized as a clinically diverse condition, meaning its symptoms and course can vary substantially from person to person. Researchers have long suspected that this clinical variability might stem from different underlying causes.

One of the most apparent distinctions among individuals with depression is their age at onset. Depression that emerges early in life is often associated with more severe outcomes, including suicidal behavior, while late-onset depression has been linked more frequently to cognitive decline and cardiovascular problems.

Glucagon Signaling Is Required For The Lifespan Extending Effect Of Calorie Restriction

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Urolithin A nudges aging immune cells toward a youthful profile in 28 days

An international research team focused on aging reports that urolithin A at 1,000 mg per day shifted human immune profiles toward a more naive-like, less exhausted CD8+ state and increased fatty acid oxidation capacity, with additional functional gains.

Urolithin A is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria after breaking down ellagic acid from certain foods, such as pomegranates and walnuts. While produced naturally through microbial digestion, it is in much smaller quantities than available as a supplement or used in the study.

Aging bodies face reduced production of mature T cells, shrinking naive T cell pools and chronic low-grade inflammation. Mitochondrial dysfunction and waning autophagy sit at the core of these shifts, with mitophagy failure linked to immune dysregulation and disease.

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