Latest

Newest stories

Health · 5 min read

A rare cancer-fighting plant compound has been decoded

Scientists at UBC Okanagan have uncovered how plants produce mitraphylline, a rare natural compound with promising anti cancer potential. The team identified two enzymes that work together to build the molecule’s unusual twisted structure, solving a mystery that had puzzled researchers for years. Because mitraphylline

May 13, 2026

Health · 5 min read

Scientists discover a weak spot shared by polio and common cold viruses

Scientists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, have uncovered a crucial trick used by enteroviruses—the group behind diseases like polio, myocarditis, encephalitis, and even the common cold—to reproduce inside human cells. The team captured, in unprecedented detail, how viral RNA recruits both viral and hu

May 13, 2026

Health · 5 min read

New drugs could wipe out the “zombie cells” linked to cancer and aging

Researchers found a new way to kill harmful “zombie” cells that linger after chemotherapy and help cancers become more aggressive. These senescent cells survive by relying on a protective protein called GPX4, even while sitting on the edge of a deadly iron-triggered collapse. New drugs remove that protection, causing t

May 13, 2026

Health · 5 min read

Scientists make old blood stem cells young again in major anti-aging breakthrough

As blood stem cells age, their lysosomes become overactive and damaged, triggering inflammation and weakening the body’s ability to regenerate healthy blood and immune cells. By calming this cellular “overdrive,” researchers restored the stem cells’ youthful function, dramatically boosting their ability to regenerate a

May 12, 2026

Health · 3 min read

About 7 million kids live in a home with a loaded and unlocked gun, a study finds

The new study in JAMA Network Open also finds that more parents leave their guns loaded and unlocked when they have teenagers, despite the fact that suicide risk goes up for this age group.

May 12, 2026

Health · 3 min read

FDA commissioner resigns after tumultuous tenure

The resignation ends Dr. Marty Makary's management of the Food and Drug Administration, which was marked by turmoil and controversy.

May 12, 2026

Health · 5 min read

Scientists reversed biological age in older adults with a 4-week diet change

A four-week diet change was enough to make some older adults appear biologically younger in a new University of Sydney study. Participants who reduced fat intake or shifted toward more plant-based protein showed improvements in key health biomarkers tied to aging. The strongest results came from a lower-fat, higher-car

May 12, 2026

Health · 5 min read

Scientists discover hidden fat-burning switch that could strengthen bones

Scientists at McGill University have uncovered a hidden molecular “switch” that turns on a powerful calorie-burning system in brown fat — the body’s heat-generating fat linked to metabolism and weight control. The breakthrough centers on glycerol, a molecule released when fat is broken down in the cold, which activates

May 12, 2026

Health · 3 min read

She's trying to outrun pancreatic cancer. Breakthrough treatments give her hope

Pancreatic cancer is notoriously lethal. But new treatments mean that may be changing, and people with the disease now have more reason to hope than ever before.

May 12, 2026

Health · 3 min read

Health experts say cruise ship hantavirus outbreak isn't a risk to public at large

Passengers who were potentially exposed to hantavirus on a cruise are back home and being monitored for symptoms, as scientists maintain that risk to the public is low.

May 12, 2026

Health · 3 min read

Former CDC official on agency's role in cruise ship hantavirus outbreak

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with former CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry about what role the CDC should play in helping Americans exposed to hantavirus.

May 12, 2026

Health · 5 min read

This simple strength test could predict how long you live

Staying strong may be one of the biggest secrets to living longer — especially for older women. A major study of more than 5,000 women found that simple signs of muscle strength, like a firm hand grip or the ability to quickly stand up from a chair, were strongly linked to lower risk of death over the next eight years.

May 12, 2026

Stay informed

Join our weekly digest of evidence-backed wellness research.