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Scientists share their ideas on how to improve several aspects of research.Image credit:©iStock.com, olaserAcademic researchers become experts in their fields through years of hard work and dedication. However, academia and the research community at large are constantly evolving, sometimes calling for changes to longstanding traditions and other times leaving seasoned scientists in uncharted territory. From publishing highs and lows to rethinking how to succeed in academia, explore the many facets of institutional research and how academics hope to improve it.This past summer, Nature joined many other journals in a transparent review process, making publication of peer review reports automatic. While…

Credit: PonyWang/Getty Images As more younger women are diagnosed and the profile of older women at risk is refined, experts are saying that breast cancer screening can be better targeted. A large study has shown that a stratified approach to screening worked as well in detecting tumors as universal yearly screening. Another study found that the number of younger women getting breast cancer suggests more should be getting regular screening. Current guidelines are that all women of average risk have a mammogram every year, starting at 40 and lasting until age 74.  “There’s no downside to screening besides the fact…

Thai cuisine is a global favorite, renowned for its explosive balance of five fundamental flavors: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter, and salty. But as you stare at a menu filled with rich curries, fried noodles, and fresh salads, a common question arises: Is Thai food healthy? The answer is not a simple yes or no—it depends entirely on what you order and how it is prepared. Generally speaking, is Thai food healthy for you? Yes. Traditional Thai cuisine is rooted in fresh vegetables, lean proteins, seafood, and arguably the most potent arsenal of anti-inflammatory herbs and spices in the world. Dishes…

As people age, their immune system function declines. T cell populations become smaller and can’t react to pathogens as quickly, making individuals more susceptible to a variety of infections. To try to overcome this decline, researchers at MIT have found a way to temporarily program cells in the liver to improve T cell function. The team’s study suggested that reprogramming can compensate for the age-related decline of the thymus, where T cell maturation normally occurs. By delivering to liver cells mRNAs encoding DLL1, FLT3L, and IL-7—three key factors that usually promote T cell survival—the researchers were able to rejuvenate the…

Texas A&M study shows small, consistent physical activity can reduce dementia risk in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. A new study from Texas A&M University suggests that even minimal exercise – just 20 minutes, twice a week – may help slow cognitive decline in older adults at risk of dementia. Led by Jungjoo Lee at the Center for Community Health and Aging, the study analyzed nearly a decade of data from the Health and Retirement Study (2012–2020), tracking 9,714 adults aged 50 and above [1]. The research, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, offers a clearer…

This postdoc investigates how immune checkpoint molecules regulate anti-tumor immune responses.Image credit:CCF Printing and Media, ©iStock.com, Artur PlawgoQ | Write a brief introduction to yourself including the lab you work in and your research background. My name is Dia Roy, and I am working as a postdoctoral researcher in Lily Wang’s lab from the department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research at the Lerner Research Institute. The current research goal of our laboratory is to define novel mechanisms by which immune checkpoint molecules regulate anti-tumor immune responses thereby developing rational therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy.Q | How did you first get…

Sun Pharma can manufacture and export, but the Delhi High Court bars Indian sales until Novo Nordisk’s patent expires in 2026. The Delhi High Court has handed down a closely watched order in India’s fast-heating GLP-1 drug industry, allowing major Indian multinational pharmaceutical Sun Pharma to manufacture and export its semaglutide-based weight-loss drug, but prohibiting any sale within India until March 2026, when Novo Nordisk’s secondary patent expires. The ruling gives India’s largest drugmaker a partial green light: it may produce and ship semaglutide formulations to any country where Novo Nordisk does not hold a patent. Domestically, however, the door…

Hyperphosphorylated tau, the protein that makes up the tangles observed in tauopathies like Alzheimer’s disease, may be the consequence of an antiviral mechanism intended to protect the brain from infections. That’s according to new research analyzing tau’s microbial activity against herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) performed by scientists at Mass General Brigham (Mass Gen) and their collaborators at Harvard University and elsewhere.   Full details are provided in a new Nature Neuroscience paper titled “Phosphorylated tau exhibits antimicrobial activity capable of neutralizing herpes simplex virus 1 infectivity in human neurons.” The findings support an idea that Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, the paper’s senior author and director of the McCance Center for Brain Health…

Credit: CIPhotos / iStock / Getty Images Plus A newly published study in Nature Biotechnology introduces a distinct class of immunotherapeutic molecules designed to overcome an underexplored mechanism of immune suppression driven by tumor-associated sugars. The research explores “glyco-immune checkpoints,” which are interactions between glycans on cancer cell surfaces and lectin receptors on immune cells. These interactions function as molecular brakes, reducing immune activation and helping tumors avoid destruction. In the paper, the authors introduce a new modular platform—antibody-lectin chimeras, or AbLecs—that directly targets this immune regulation pathway. “Despite the curative potential of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, many patients remain unresponsive…

With new investor backing, the company prepares a £25m Series A to move its lead tauC3 antibody into human trials. TauC3 Biologics, a neurodegeneration-focused biotech based at Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, has secured around $2.5 million in new investor commitments as it prepares for a planned £25m Series A round. The funding extends the company’s operating runway to Q2 2027 and accelerates development of its lead antibody program, TBL-100, positioning the company for the transition into clinical-stage development. The upcoming Series A is intended to initiate first-in-human studies, a critical inflection point for the company as it moves beyond preclinical research…