Certain cancers that contain organized clusters of immune cells known as tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) do not respond to treatment as well as expected. Even though they have TLS that support the elimination of cancer cells, they remain resistant to immunotherapy. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), better known as the brain’s major inhibitory neurotransmitter, may play a role in this lack of response by acting as an immunoregulatory metabolite, according to a study led by scientists at Sorbonne Université.
A new strategy based on regulatory T cells (Tregs) engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has shown that cell therapies can be directed against soluble allergens to control inflammation. The findings open a potential path toward the development of antigen-specific cell therapies for allergies caused by pollen, food allergens or dust mites.
Cancer researchers are increasingly turning to the microbiome to understand why some patients respond well to treatment while others face severe complications. Gut microbial communities shift during intensive therapies such as bone marrow transplantation, and those changes influence infection risk, immune recovery and long‑term survival. New advances in microbial sequencing and engineering redefine this community as a measurable clinical parameter that can be monitored, modeled, and even therapeutically reshaped to improve outcomes in oncology and other conditions.
Cancer researchers are increasingly turning to the microbiome to understand why some patients respond well to treatment while others face severe complications. Gut microbial communities shift during intensive therapies such as bone marrow transplantation, and those changes influence infection risk, immune recovery and long‑term survival. New advances in microbial sequencing and engineering redefine this community as a measurable clinical parameter that can be monitored, modeled, and even therapeutically reshaped to improve outcomes in oncology and other conditions.
Human biology is extraordinarily complex, and that sophistication emerges from the very beginning. During embryonic and fetal development, the organism’s architecture is shaped through the organization of tissues, the establishment of molecular pathways, and the coordination of signals that will later sustain the body as an integrated system. It is likely the most delicate stage of life, where any disturbance in that foundational process can have lasting consequences on health.
At the 2026 World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), held in Glasgow June 26-29, 2026, researchers from Japan’s National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) showcased how human organoid technologies are reshaping the study of neurodevelopmental vulnerability, addiction and psychiatric disorders.
The gut microbiota may be altered in people with depression as a result of treatment. These microorganisms reorganize differently in individuals who respond to therapy. In a multiomics study of antidepressant-naive patients presented at the 2026 World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), scientists from National Taiwan University found that patients who improved after antidepressant treatment maintained a more balanced and functional microbial ecosystem, recovered beneficial metabolites, and displayed blood-based biological signals that aligned with these changes.
The gut microbiota may be altered in people with depression as a result of treatment. These microorganisms reorganize differently in individuals who respond to therapy. In a multiomics study of antidepressant-naive patients presented at the 2026 World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), scientists from National Taiwan University found that patients who improved after antidepressant treatment maintained a more balanced and functional microbial ecosystem, recovered beneficial metabolites, and displayed blood-based biological signals that aligned with these changes.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated genes provide direct therapeutic targets and reveal pathways that can be used to develop treatments that counteract their harmful molecular effects. Because the underlying causes of most ALS cases remain unknown, identifying disease-associated variants is essential to uncover the mechanisms that drive the disease, as shown at the European Network to Cure ALS (ENCALS) meeting, held in Madrid from June 24 to 26, 2026.
Some proteins embedded in the structure of prions may have antimicrobial activity, according to a study led by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania. An AI analysis of millions of fragments from prion-related proteins has revealed more than a thousand peptides that disrupt bacterial membranes and reduce infection in animal models, suggesting these proteins could be an unexpected source of new antibiotics.
