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Address correspondence to: Michael C

Haffner, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1,100 Fairview Avenue N., E2-112, Seattle, Washington 98,109, USA. Phone: 206.667.6769; Email: [email protected]. Or to: Stephanie Harmon, NIH, 9,000 Rockville Pike, Building 41, Room A101-I, Bethesda, Maryland 20,892, USA. Phone: 240.858.3067; Email: [email protected]. Or to: Cora N. Sternberg, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, Room 1,412, New York, New York 10,021, USA. Phone: 646.962.2072; Email: [email protected].

MRI of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Cross-regional Perspectives on Trends and Opportunities

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can vary substantially by region. The authors highlight differences between Eastern and Western health care systems in the use of MRI for surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring in patients with HCC. These regional differences reflect variations in disease prevalence, treatment practice patterns, and reimbursement policies as well as the evolving role of MRI in the care continuum, for which global consensus has not yet been achieved. Although variations are not uncommon, even within regions or countries, some general observations can be made and are represented by national or regional practice guidelines. For instance, in East Asia, where hepatitis B is the predominant cause of HCC and locoregional tumor ablation is preferred, guidelines emphasize high diagnostic sensitivity. Consequently, they employ broader screening criteria with MRI. Conversely, in Western regions where liver transplant for HCC is prioritized and the stakes for specificity are high, guidelines emphasize high pretest probabilities and stricter criteria for “definite HCC.” Although HCC diagnostic criteria remain somewhat divergent, the criteria for assessment of treatment response have transcended regional differences to evolve globally in tandem, shifting away from measuring the gross reduction in tumor size toward assessment based on features of tumor viability. This shift has been instrumental for adoption of immunotherapy, in which conventional size criteria may allow underestimation of its therapeutic benefit. Recognition of these regional variations is important in interpretation of multicenter international studies and to facilitate global collaboration in MRI-based management of HCC.

© RSNA, 2026

See the invited commentary by Ronot in this issue.

Newly discovered antiviral system in bacteria is ‘strangest of its kind’

Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have uncovered an unusual bacterial immune system that operates in reverse of known defenses. The discovery, published in Molecular Cell, details the mechanics of “type VI retrons”—a counterintuitive class of bacterial defenses. More than just a biological curiosity, decoding these complex systems provides a molecular blueprint that scientists can adapt to engineer more efficient DNA-editing tools for human health and therapies.

“This is, by far, the strangest of the retron systems that we or anyone else has come across,” says Gladstone investigator Seth Shipman, Ph.D., senior author of the new study. “These retrons operate with Rube Goldberg–level complexity, using molecular mechanisms that we would never have thought to invent, but that we’ll use in future technologies.”

Bacteria have long evolved specialized defenses to destroy phages, which are viruses that target bacterial cells. A line of defense, known as retrons, recognizes viral attacks and triggers self-destruction to protect the broader bacterial colony.

Opportunistic CT Screening: Clinical Applications, Technical Foundations, and Best Practices

Opportunistic CT screening refers to the extraction of clinically relevant imaging biomarkers from CT examinations routinely performed for unrelated primary indications. This screening does not require additional radiation exposure, imaging time, or patient burden. Advances in automated image analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) have substantially expanded the feasibility of opportunistic CT screening across a range of conditions, including low bone mineral density, hepatic steatosis, sarcopenia, adiposity, and vascular calcifications. These biomarkers are increasingly being recognized as important contributors to fracture risk, cardiometabolic disease, and frailty; yet they often remain undiagnosed in routine clinical practice. While numerous studies have demonstrated technical feasibility and diagnostic performance, widespread clinical adoption of opportunistic CT screening remains limited. Key challenges include those related to workflow integration, standardization of measurement techniques, quality assurance, interpretability of results, and uncertainty regarding downstream clinical management and value. In particular, not all opportunistic imaging biomarkers are equally actionable, and inappropriate or indiscriminate reporting may contribute to overdiagnosis or unnecessary follow-up. The authors summarize common applications of opportunistic CT screening, highlighting typical imaging findings and biomarkers. The authors discuss the evolution of automated and AI-based approaches, with emphasis on practical considerations for deployment, including pre-and postdeployment quality assurance, algorithm monitoring, and practical considerations for clinical integration. Emerging applications also are reviewed, with attention to current limitations. With a focus on clinical integration, this review is intended to inform radiologists, informaticians, and others working in health care systems who seek to translate opportunistic CT screening from proof-of-concept studies into scalable, clinically meaningful practice.

©RSNA, 2026

NASA’s SpaceX CRS-35 mission to launch health research

NASA experiments focused on human and plant health and drug-resistant organisms will travel to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, advancing research that benefits life on Earth and future exploration.

This research supports astronaut health during long-duration missions through four investigations from the agency’s Biological and Physical Sciences division, including 3D models of the human brain, a crop disease study, a faster way to assess astronaut health and an analysis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria aboard the space station.

NASA Names Astronaut Christina Koch Acting Deputy Chief Engineer

NASA engineer and astronaut Christina Koch will serve as the agency’s acting deputy chief engineer beginning on Sunday, Nov. 1, following the retirement of Katherine Van Hooser, who will conclude more than 35 years of distinguished service to the agency on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

In her new role, Koch will help lead NASA’s engineering community, supporting technical oversight, mission readiness, and engineering excellence across the agency’s programs and projects. With this appointment, Koch will transition to management astronaut status and will no longer be eligible for future spaceflight assignments.

“Christina has seen NASA engineering from both sides of the equation: developing complex systems on the ground and trusting them with her life in space,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “After spending nearly a year living and working aboard the International Space Station and helping lead America back around the Moon on Artemis II this year, she brings an extraordinary combination of technical expertise, operational experience, and judgment to this role. I am excited to see the impact she will have across NASA as we return Americans to the lunar surface, build the Moon Base, get underway on nuclear power in space, and develop the capabilities that will ultimately take us on to Mars.”

Planetary systems reveal two distinct families tied to their host stars

Analyzing a sample of 300 of the best-characterized planetary systems among the more than 1,000 known in the Milky Way, an international research team led by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) has discovered that the multiplanet systems identified so far belong to two distinct “families.”

The study, published in Nature Astronomy, demonstrates for the first time a true “genetic link” between the host star and its planets that shapes the birth, dynamical evolution and future stability of the entire planetary system.

Two Tiny Magnetic Robots Could Replace Open-Heart Surgery, Study Says

The milirobot system uses two cooperating robots, which are the size of a pencil tip, to deliver antibiotics directly to the heart. Researchers have successfully tested the robots in simulated blood flow and real pig heart tissue, demonstrating they can accurately dock, deliver medication over three hours and be safely retrieved.

Read more.

Robots the size of a pencil tip could soon deliver antibiotics directly into infected heart tissue.

Study Demonstrates Inconsistent Use of Clinically Indicated Molecular Profiling Technique

Molecular profiling can aid in diagnosing cancer or predicting an individual’s risk of developing cancer. After obtaining a specimen from a patient, such as blood or tissue, we can use molecular profiling techniques in a laboratory to evaluate the genes or molecules present in a biological sample.

A recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology: Oncology Practice highlights gaps in molecular profiling among Medicaid patients and presents strategies to reduce inconsistencies in care. The retrospective study focuses on molecular profiling for patients with the estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER+/HER2-) subtype of breast cancer. Using data on Medicaid beneficiaries in Ohio, the researchers assessed what factors influenced decisions about which patients underwent molecular profiling.

The researchers obtained data from the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System and from Medicaid claims data. All patients considered in the analysis had localized or regional-stage ER+/HER2-breast cancer that was diagnosed between 2016 and 2020.