The Human Cell Atlas project has delivered a fresh tranche of data mapping fibroblasts in healthy and diseased skin and pointing to drug targets with potential in multiple diseases across a range of tissues. Using single cell sequencing and spatial genomics, a technique for showing how gene expression varies at different locations within a tissue, nine different subpopulations of fibroblasts were identified, six in healthy skin and three in disease samples.

Globally, over half of people living with HIV are women. But in clinical cure trials, they make up only about 20% of participants. And that gender imbalance is causing researchers to miss out on ways to improve cure strategies. Because women’s immune systems appear to be better at controlling HIV infection in a way that silences the reservoir – the provirus integrated into host cells in infected persons.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists in the U.K. has published its first-ever guidance to support research into psychedelic drugs as therapies for conditions including treatment-resistant depression, substance abuse disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder, saying that in a fast-moving field there is a risk of jumping ahead of the evidence.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists in the U.K. has published its first-ever guidance to support research into psychedelic drugs as therapies for conditions including treatment-resistant depression, substance abuse disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder, saying that in a fast-moving field there is a risk of jumping ahead of the evidence.

Two back-to-back papers published in Nature on Sept. 10, 2025, shed new light on the unexpected role of neurons in shaping the evolution of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). It’s already known that, in gliomas, cerebral cancer cells actively damage axons, contributing to tumor progression through direct neural disruption.

A new generative AI model trained on UK Biobank data can simultaneously forecast the risks and timing of developing over 1,000 different diseases a decade into the future. The developers applied similar algorithmic concepts to those used to develop large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini to build the model, using medical records from 402,799 participants in UK Biobank.

Two back-to-back papers published in Nature on Sept. 10, 2025, shed new light on the unexpected role of neurons in shaping the evolution of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). It’s already known that, in gliomas, cerebral cancer cells actively damage axons, contributing to tumor progression through direct neural disruption. Comparable nerve-tumor interactions have been reported in peripheral cancers, where tumor-induced nerve disruption promotes inflammation and an immunosuppressive microenvironment linked to immunotherapy resistance.

A new generative AI model trained on UK Biobank data can simultaneously forecast the risks and timing of developing over 1,000 different diseases a decade into the future. The developers applied similar algorithmic concepts to those used to develop large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini to build the model, using medical records from 402,799 participants in UK Biobank.

When Robert Kennedy Jr. announced the cancellation of 22 projects related to mRNA vaccines and the end of new investments in that technology, the U.S. Secretary of Health only mentioned their use against respiratory viruses, without referring to other applications. The vaccines whose safety and effectiveness Kennedy is questioning are based on the same molecular principles as cancer vaccines under development. “Continued investment in mRNA technology is essential to fully realize its potential in oncology and ensure that promising strategies like neoantigen-based vaccines reach clinical application.” Kazuhiro Kakimi, professor at the Department of Immunology at Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, told BioWorld.

An ongoing concern for scientists is that there will be across-the-board funding cuts. This is already happening in mRNA research, where reductions affected coronavirus-related projects. During the pandemic, efforts focused on this pathogen, and once the health emergency was over, grants for antivirals were eliminated. However, these drugs could stem future outbreaks. Despite the cuts, recent research continues to demonstrate the potential of mRNA, not only for the development of antivirals, but also for obtaining more effective and longer-lasting vaccines.