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Large-scale DNA study maps 37,000 years of disease history

A research team led by Eske Willerslev, professor at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Cambridge, has recovered ancient DNA from 214 known human pathogens in prehistoric humans from Eurasia.

The study shows, among other things, that the earliest known evidence of zoonotic diseases—illnesses transmitted from animals to humans, like COVID in recent times—dates back to around 6,500 years ago, with such diseases becoming more widespread approximately 5,000 years ago.

“The spatiotemporal distribution of in ancient Eurasia” is the largest study to date on the history of infectious diseases and has been published in Nature.

Switching on a silent gene revives tissue regeneration in mice

Research led by the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing has discovered that switching on a single dormant gene enables mice to regenerate ear tissue.

Some vertebrates such as salamanders and fish can regenerate complex tissue structures with precision. A lost limb can be regrown, a damaged heart or eye can be repaired. Salamanders are so remarkable at reconstructing damaged tissues that even a spinal cord injury with severed neural motor connectivity can be restored.

Mammals occasionally showcase the ability to regenerate. Deer antlers and goat horns are examples of living tissue regeneration. Mice can regrow fingertips if they are lost. A healthy human liver can experience up to 70% loss of tissue and regrow to near full size within several weeks.

Noninvasive brain tech and AI moves robotic hand with thought

No surgery is required.

Instead, a set of sensors is placed on the scalp to detect brain signals. These signals are then sent to a computer. As a result, this approach is safe and accessible. It opens new possibilities for people with motor impairments or those recovering from injuries.

Mathematical model reveals how humans store narrative memories using ‘random trees’

Humans can remember various types of information, including facts, dates, events and even intricate narratives. Understanding how meaningful stories are stored in people’s memory has been a key objective of many cognitive psychology studies.

Cancer drug candidate developed using supercomputing & AI blocks tumor growth without toxic side effect

A new cancer drug candidate developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), BBOT (BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics) and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR) has demonstrated the ability to block tumor growth without triggering a common and debilitating side effect. In early clinical trials, the compound, known as BBO-10203, has shown promise in disrupting a key interaction between two cancer-driving proteins — RAS and PI3Kα — without causing hyperglycemia (high blood-sugar levels), which has historically hindered similar treatments. Published in Science