Whether DNA-PKcs is necessary for non-homologous end joining has been biochemically obscure. Through optimization of reaction conditions, Fujii and Modesti show that DNA-PKcs plays a constructive role, which leads to indistinguishable repair efficiencies between cohesive-end and blunt-end DNA substrates.
https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI197923 Here, David A. Brenner & team discover the RNA-binding protein LARP6 as a master coordinator of hepatic stellate cell activation and fibrosis, using human tissue and liver spheroid models of MASH and MetALD.
The image shows collagen labeling (red) in human liver spheroids MASH model with LARP6-targeting ASO (DAPI, blue). Collagen labeling is decreased compared with MASH control.
11 Center for Epigenomics, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA.
12 Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.
13 Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully demonstrated that disrupting an eye structure long suspected of blocking the growth and survival of transplanted nerve cells may help restore vision in people with optic nerve damage.
A report on the experiments with animals, stem cells and donated eye tissue was published in Science Translational Medicine. It suggests that altering or removing a thin layer of tissue called the internal limiting membrane, which separates the light-sensing retinal tissue at the back of the eye from the gel-like vitreous fluid that fills the eye, could help transplanted retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) survive and grow in people with blinding optic nerve damage.
Such damage, also known as optic neuropathy, occurs when retinal ganglion cells die of disease, inflammation or injury and stop carrying electrical signals to the brain. Common causes of damage include glaucoma, optic nerve inflammation (optic neuritis) and ischemic optic neuropathy (sudden loss of blood flow to the optic nerve).
Gait impairments such as freezing, weakness and imbalance remain resistant to standard therapies across neurological disorders. This Review examines advances in neuromodulation, from refining deep brain stimulation to integrating spinal and distributed strategies. It discusses adaptive neurotechnologies, mechanistic insights and a framework for tailoring spatiotemporally precise interventions to restore gait control.
What happens when two of the greatest sci-fi universes collide? ⚔️
In this deep-dive, we break down the ultimate showdown: Star Trek vs Star Wars — and uncover the TRUTH about who would actually win.
This isn’t just fan debate. We’re analyzing technology, weapons, strategy, and realism to answer the question once and for all. From the advanced warp-driven fleets of the United Federation of Planets to the Force-wielding dominance of the Galactic Empire, every advantage and weakness is put under the microscope.
Could a Star Destroyer overpower the USS Enterprise?
Is the Force the ultimate trump card?
Or does superior engineering give Star Trek the edge?
This video dives into:
Starship combat and firepower ⚡
Shields vs deflectors 🛡️
Warp speed vs hyperspace 🚀
AI, tactics, and battle strategy 🧠
The real science behind both universes.
By the end, you’ll see which universe holds the TRUE advantage—and why the answer might surprise you.
Diagnosing some diseases could be as easy as breathing into a tube. MIT engineers have developed a test to detect disease-related compounds in a patient’s breath. The new test could provide a faster way to diagnose pneumonia and other lung conditions. Rather than sit for a chest X-ray or wait hours for a lab result, a patient may one day take a breath test and get a diagnosis within minutes.
The new breath test is a portable, chip-scale sensor that traps and detects synthetic compounds, or “biomarkers,” of disease, which are initially attached to inhalable nanoparticles. The biomarkers serve as tiny tags that can only be unlocked and detached from the nanoparticle by a very particular key, such as a disease-related enzyme.
The idea is that a person would first breathe in the nanoparticles, similar to inhaling asthma medicine. If the person is healthy, the nanoparticles would eventually circulate out of the body intact. If a disease such as pneumonia is present, however, enzymes produced as a result of the infection would snip off the nanoparticles’ biomarkers. These untethered biomarkers would be exhaled and measured, confirming the presence of the disease.