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LOXL2 enzyme discovery offers new hope for jaw arthritis

Researchers have discovered the protective role of LOXL2 protein in preventing cartilage damage and inflammation in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis. The enzyme helps suppress inflammatory pathways, reducing cell death and preserving cartilage viability even under inflammatory conditions.

SourceEditorial Office of West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University·JournalInternational Journal of Oral Science·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 6, 2026

Discovering the “brain fingerprints” of chronic pain

A team of researchers has developed a method to decode fluctuations in spontaneous pain intensity in individuals with chronic pain using extensively sampled functional MRI data. The study found that neural patterns underlying pain differ markedly between individuals, highlighting the importance of individualized brain-based biomarkers.

SourceInstitute for Basic Science·JournalNature Neuroscience·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 3, 2026

Why Triceratops has such a big nose

Researchers from the University of Tokyo used CT scans to study Triceratops' nasal anatomy, revealing a specialized structure called a respiratory turbinate. This unique feature helped regulate temperature and moisture levels in the dinosaur's large skull.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalThe Anatomical Record·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 17, 2026

The earliest known bird had complex tongue bones and fleshy “teeth” on the roof of its mouth—which might have helped it snag the food it needed for flight

The earliest known bird, Archaeopteryx, had unique mouth features such as oral papillae, tongue bones, and bill-tip organs. These structures suggest that early birds evolved specialized ways to find and digest food efficiently, which is key to flight. The discovery provides new criteria for identifying dinosaur fossils as birds.

SourceField Museum·JournalThe Innovation·DateFeb 2, 2026

Codes in the cilia: New study maps how Cilk1 and Hedgehog levels sculpt tooth architecture

Researchers identified cilia-mediated Hedgehog signaling as a key regulator of tooth development. The study found that disrupting Cilk1 levels can lead to stepwise changes in tooth formation and morphology, including extra teeth or fused molars. This discovery may support earlier diagnosis for children with ciliopathies.

SourceEditorial Office of West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University·JournalInternational Journal of Oral Science·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 12, 2026

‘Tubuloids’ offer a realistic platform for modeling chronic kidney disease

Researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo developed 'tubuloids' to capture the slow progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), replicating key features such as DNA damage, cellular senescence, inflammation, and fibrosis. This realistic platform provides a new way to develop and test treatments for millions globally.

SourceInstitute of Science Tokyo·JournalAdvanced Healthcare Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

Chinese Neurosurgical Journal study reveals high paralysis risk in corticospinal tract-infiltrating gliomas

A study of 101 glioma cases reveals that one-third of patients develop permanent paralysis after surgery. High tumor grade, pre-operative motor deficits, and larger tumor volume are key predictors. The work underscores the importance of careful surgical planning to maximize survival while safeguarding motor function.

SourceChinese Neurosurgical Journal·JournalChinese Neurosurgical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateDec 11, 2025

Researchers map how the cerebellum builds its connections with the rest of the brain during early development

A team of researchers has reconstructed how the cerebellum establishes its connections with the rest of the brain during earliest stages of life. The work describes the phases in which these neural connections emerge, expand, and are refined, offering a comprehensive map of cerebellar projections across the mouse brain.

SourceUniversidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 11, 2025

A 3D atlas of brain connections

Researchers created BraDiPho, a 3D atlas of brain connections, combining clinical neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and neuroanatomy. The tool facilitates precise identification of white matter connections, opening up new therapeutic perspectives for neurological diseases.

SourceUniversità di Trento·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 6, 2025

New research shows a tiny, regenerative worm could change our understanding of healing

New research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research reveals planarian stem cells ignore their nearest neighbors and respond to signals further away in the body. This discovery may help explain the flatworm's extraordinary ability to regenerate and offer clues for developing new ways to replace or repair tissues in humans.

SourceStowers Institute for Medical Research·JournalCell Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 15, 2025

Longer body size means more female calves for baleen whale moms

Researchers tested a popular evolutionary theory by comparing maternal length and fetal sex in over 100,000 whales. They found that the fetal sex ratio skews female for longer body size, suggesting that female calves benefit more from heritable fitness than males do. The findings contradict the Trivers-Willard hypothesis.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalProceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateSep 23, 2025

AI model offers accurate and explainable insights to support autism assessment

A deep learning model achieved up to 98% accuracy in distinguishing autistic from neurotypical participants, providing clear insights into brain regions most influential to its decisions. The model could benefit autistic people and clinicians by offering accurate and explainable results to inform assessment and support.

SourceUniversity of Plymouth·JournalEClinicalMedicine·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 18, 2025

Scaffold-free cartilage produced using embryonic-derived mesenchymal stem cell spheroids

A new study demonstrates the potential to produce cellular spheroids from clinically relevant embryonic stem cells to generate scaffold-free chondrogenic or osteochondrogenic graft tissues. The researchers successfully cultured ES-MSC cellular spheroids, which matured into neocartilage tissues expressing cartilage-associated genes.

SourceMary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News·JournalTissue Engineering Part A·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 13, 2025

Seeing with fresh eyes: Snails as a system for studying sight restoration

Researchers have established apple snails as a system to study eye regeneration, which may hold the key for restoring vision due to damage and disease. The team discovered that the snail eye is anatomically similar to humans and can regrow itself, with genes such as pax6 playing a crucial role in development.

SourceStowers Institute for Medical Research·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 6, 2025

New examination of fish considered a ‘living fossil’ changes our understanding of vertebrate skull evolution

Researchers reanalyzed the coelacanth's skull musculature and found that only 13% of previously identified evolutionary muscle novelties were accurate. The study also identified nine new evolutionary transformations related to feeding and respiration, revealing a more similar anatomy to cartilaginous fish and tetrapods.

Your skin buckles as you age – and that’s why wrinkles form

A study published in Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials found that wrinkled skin is caused by its tendency to buckle under pressure due to age-related changes in its mechanical properties. As people age, their skin becomes more prone to wrinkles as it stretches and contracts in different directions.

SourceBinghamton University·JournalJournal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 22, 2025

A perfect fit: A Chinese Neurosurgical Journal study shows that Neuroform Atlas stent-assisted coiling is effective even in smaller arteries

A study published in Chinese Neurosurgical Journal found that the Neuroform Atlas stent-assisted coiling procedure is safe and effective for treating intracranial aneurysms in arteries less than 2.5 mm in diameter, with favorable outcomes and low postoperative complication rates.

SourceChinese Neurosurgical Journal·JournalChinese Neurosurgical Journal·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJul 3, 2025

Chicago’s rodents are evolving to handle city living

Researchers found that chipmunks' skulls became larger but teeth shorter due to increased human food availability. Voles' auditory bullae decreased in size possibly to dampen environmental noise. These changes demonstrate the profound impact of humans on wildlife and their environment.

SourceField Museum·JournalIntegrative and Comparative Biology·DateJun 26, 2025

Aging disrupts osteocyte networks and bone structure, with greater impact in males

Researchers used a premature aging mouse model to study the effects of age and sex on osteocyte networks and bone structure. Aged PolgA mice showed accelerated skeletal aging, reduced osteocyte connectivity, and increased frailty, with males exhibiting more pronounced changes.

SourceEditorial Office of West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University·JournalBone Research·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 10, 2025

"Listening directly to the nerves" — personalized stimulation control mechanism for urinary disorder treatment (tibial nerve stimulation)

A joint research team from POSTECH and Hanyang University developed a personalized stimulation control mechanism using evoked compound action potential feedback mechanisms to treat urinary disorders. This technology enables precise adjustment of tibial nerve stimulation in real-time, based on individual nerve responses, improving patie...

SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 22, 2025

Retinal disorder diagnosis improved by new AI-powered medical imaging, study shows

Researchers have introduced DSFN to improve the speed and accuracy of diagnoses of retinal disorders. This AI-powered medical imaging technique combines retina images with vascular distribution information to accurately locate the fovea in complex clinical scenarios, enabling doctors to detect early signs of ocular diseases.

SourceXi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University·JournalIEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 12, 2024