Scientists claim to have stumbled across a hidden network of vessels in the brain, a discovery that could transform our understanding of neurodegenerative conditions - but further research is needed to confirm the findings. www.newscientist.com/article/2515...

Stool transplants seem to boost the effectiveness of cancer therapies against kidney and lung cancer, by altering the gut microbiome. Cool to see a couple of studies building on evidence that this approach can work for skin cancer. www.newscientist.com/article/2513...

Cancer therapy has, understandably, long focused on helping people live longer, but tumours can also be painful. Now a drug seems to both improve survival rates and relieve bone tumour-related pain, suggesting it could offer a more comfortable form of therapy. www.newscientist.com/article/2513...

If you're not feeling up for a social plan, you may find yourself wondering: to cancel or not to cancel? Well, it turns out that people may be more accepting of cancellations than we assume... www.newscientist.com/article/2511...

A bumper pod this week: 💥Rutger Bregman on moral ambition, veganism, the AI revolution 💥Evolutionary explanation for gay sex in primates 💥Small tweaks to increase lifespan 💥Wild proposal to drawdown carbon www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPke...

If you're looking for ways to boost your health this year, there's some good news: even small tweaks to your sleep, diet and exercise have been linked to a longer life. www.newscientist.com/article/2511...

You may be familiar with the mood-boost that comes with exercise - now a major review confirms that even light physical activity, like walking, can ease depression symptoms as effectively as talking therapies or antidepressants. www.newscientist.com/article/2510...

People who stop taking obesity drugs tend to regain the weight they've lost within 1.7 years, emphasising how obesity is a chronic condition that requires long-term treatment. www.newscientist.com/article/2510...

This year, we’ve seen creatures of all shapes and sizes stealing the spotlight with their adorably cute, and bizarre, behaviours…to be greatly enjoyed! www.newscientist.com/article/2507...

It's a great week for the fight against drug-resistant gonorrhoea, which is rising globally: a new antibiotic effectively cleared the infection in a late-stage trial - FDA may approve on Monday. Plus FDA expanded use of another antibiotic to treat gonorrhoea. www.newscientist.com/article/2508...

"We have adolescent brains into our 30s" is a great headline but it's also not true. @rowhoop.bsky.social, @carissacwwong.bsky.social and I unpicked all the interesting details from that big news-making white matter study on the World, The Universe And Us youtu.be/HoQgW-KKbr0?...

A man has become the seventh person to be free of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant to treat blood cancer. Crucially, he received stem cells that were not resistant to the virus, prompting scientists to rethink what's necessary for an HIV cure. www.newscientist.com/article/2506...

Daily steroid pills are often used for severe asthma but they raise the risk of several conditions including infections, diabetes, bone problems...great to see a new trial supporting the idea that a monthly antibody injection can offer a safer alternative. www.newscientist.com/article/2506...

A daily pill could soon offer a more convenient, and potentially cheaper, alternative to injections like Wegovy and Ozempic, which enable weight loss and improve blood sugar levels. www.newscientist.com/article/2505...

Pulsing ultrasound waves through the brain seems to help clear dead blood cells from the organ after a type of stroke, improving survival. The approach could potentially help to clear toxic proteins linked to brain conditions like Alzheimer's disease. www.newscientist.com/article/2503...

A magnetic tool for removing kidney stones that's "sort of like using a stick to fish out a snot full of stone fragments" could mean fewer surgeries, and less pain, for people with the condition. www.newscientist.com/article/2502...

It can be hard to focus after a bad night's sleep...Now we may know why. It turns out that momentary lapses in attention may occur because the brain's trying to catch up with clearing out waste - something it usually does while we snooze. www.newscientist.com/article/2501...

Our bodies contain a ghostly web of thread-like vessels and bean-shaped nodes, called the lymphatic system. My latest cover story looks at how it could be a secret ingredient in treating some major health conditions from Alzheimer's disease to cancer. www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

Awesome story from @carissacwwong.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

A man with paralysis used his thoughts to move and feel sensations through another person's hand, thanks to a brain implant - the approach could be used to help people rehabilitate from spinal cord injury. www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

A pig's liver has been transplanted into a living person for the first time, helping us better understand how animal organs can prolong, or even save, lives. www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

Regulatory cells in our blood play a key role in preventing our immune systems attacking us - and the discovery of these cells by Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi was today rewarded with a Nobel prize 🧪 www.newscientist.com/article/2498...

The vast majority of long covid research has ignored how the condition may affect the menstrual cycle. Now a study suggests it may make periods longer and heavier. www.newscientist.com/article/2496...

Some of our immune cells fend off infections by undergoing an inflammatory form of cell death, but this may come at the cost of chronic inflammation later in life. www.newscientist.com/article/2496...

We’re spending more time on the loo 🚽because of smartphones 📱 - and that substantially increases the risk of getting piles, according to a small study 🧪 www.newscientist.com/article/2494...

Could psychedelics treat anxiety? A landmark trial found a single dose of the mind-altering drug LSD seems to reduce anxiety without lasting side effects. www.newscientist.com/article/2495...

An intriguing study suggests the hepatitis B vaccine may reduce the risk of diabetes, and not just by preventing infections. www.newscientist.com/article/2494...

Mouth-watering news...We've identified microbes that produce fine flavours in chocolate, a discovery that could lead to entirely new kinds of the delectable treat. www.newscientist.com/article/2492...

We already use cancer-killing viruses to treat a few types of tumour. But cloaking the viruses in bacteria could extend this approach to a wider range of cancers. www.newscientist.com/article/2492...

Some respiratory viruses may activate the growth of dormant cancer cells that have spread to the lungs from elsewhere in the body. www.newscientist.com/article/2490...

Some people with irritable bowel syndrome point to gluten as a trigger. But new findings suggest that the protein, found in grains like wheat and barley, may not actually worsen symptoms in many cases. www.newscientist.com/article/2489...

Do we grow new brain cells in adulthood? Yes, according to evidence that provides a "missing link" in one of neuroscience's biggest controversies. www.newscientist.com/article/2486...

A single dose of a long-lasting antiviral has shown promise in protecting against all flu strains for months - and it could even work better than vaccines in some people. www.newscientist.com/article/2486...

Cancer cells steal mitochondria, energy-generating parts, from nerve cells. This theft seems to help cancer cells spread to distant sites - and targeting it could bring new treatments against the deadliest tumours. www.newscientist.com/article/2485...

It's absolutely wild that US government policy is that cows should be protected against bird flu, but people shouldn't - really interesting piece from @gracewade.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2484...

Loved @davidarobson.bsky.social's latest column for @newscientist.com. I only started feeling comfortable in a swimsuit when I began appreciating my body for what it could do rather than how it looked. I am a big fan of the body-neutrality movement! www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

You're probably familiar with the pain and peeling that comes with spending too much time in the sun, but what exactly is sunburn (hint: inflammation)? How can we treat it? And what are the long-term dangers? www.newscientist.com/article/2485...

It's costly and laborious to make the cells used in CAR T-cell therapy, a transformative treatment for some blood cancers. But a way of generating the therapy inside, rather than outside, the body could cut costs and make the treatment more accessible. www.newscientist.com/article/2485...

The herpes virus that causes cold sores starts reshaping our genome within an hour of infecting cells - targeting this process could help treat severe cases, or even lead to treatments against other viruses. Read @newscientist.com. www.newscientist.com/article/2484...

Tiny balls of lab-grown blood vessels restored blood flow to injured tissue in mice, suggesting the approach could help to minimise tissue damage that occurs after accidents or blood clots. www.newscientist.com/article/2484...

In my cover story for @newscientist.com this week, I dug into the fascinating new field of "cancer neuroscience". Scientists have found that tumours hack the nervous system to fuel their own growth - and disrupting this interplay could bring new treatments. www.newscientist.com/article/2482...

Gently massaging the face and neck with a device boosted the brain’s waste disposal system in mice, suggesting it could reduce the severity of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Read @newscientist.com. www.newscientist.com/article/2483...

A retinal implant partly restored vision in mice and could one day benefit people with some forms of blindness. Read @newscientist.com. www.newscientist.com/article/2483...

How do you tell if something is real or just a figment of your imagination? We've now pinpointed a brain pathway that seems to help - and the discovery could help to treat conditions like Parkinson's disease. Read @newscientist.com. www.newscientist.com/article/2483...

Do ultra-processed foods contain especially high levels of microplastics that worsen mental health? That's the bold question being put forward by @ntfabiano.bsky.social and colleagues. So how plausible is the idea, and is it testable? Read @newscientist.com. www.newscientist.com/article/2481...

Microplastics, UPFs and mental health! A triple-whammy in this great analysis from @carissacwwong.bsky.social Given we don't actually know microplastics or UPFs are harmful, there is still a lot more work to do, but I find linking them intriguing www.newscientist.com/article/2481...

Women with dense breast tissue could benefit from an extra round of cancer screening - a large trial found this caught tumours that were missed in standard mammograms. Read @newscientist.com. www.newscientist.com/article/2481...

There's little good-quality evidence to support the viral social media trend of taping your mouth closed at night to alleviate breathing difficulties. Scientists warn it could even make things worse. Read @newscientist.com. www.newscientist.com/article/2480...

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder can cause monthly cycles of rage, depression, anxiety and self-harm. Treatments are limited, but new ideas about the condition could change that

For the first time, a person has been given a gene-editing treatment to correct their specific mutation - the treatment won't work for anyone else #CRISPR 🧪 The challenge now is making such treatments affordable to the millions who need them www.newscientist.com/article/2480...