Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Intranasal stem cell treatment studied in rats after traumatic brain injury
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports a study in male and female rats in which a single intranasal dose of neural stem cells, given after a controlled cortical impact, changed inflammatory and blood-vessel responses to traumatic brain injury (TBI). The authors report sex-dependent differences in the injury response and treatment effects that were similar in both sexes for some proteins, and they say the work supports further development of the therapy.
- Published
- Oct 12, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.756809
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Stored red blood cells vary widely in a key oxygen-release molecule
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, measures 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), a molecule that helps red blood cells release oxygen, in twenty-four stored units of blood. The authors found that units of the same storage age differed widely, and that most were depleted long before the 42-day expiry, which they say shows that storage-age comparisons misclassify the exposure.
- Published
- Oct 12, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.757834
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Computer analysis flags a potassium channel gene under selection in colorectal cancer
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, uses computer analysis of colorectal cancer mutations to flag KCNA5 (Kv1.5), a potassium channel gene, as under positive mutational selection. The authors say the mutations are likely functional, but the results are computational, so they are predictions rather than measured channel behavior.
- Published
- Oct 12, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.758060
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Wheat gliadin peptide weakens TLR5 signaling in intestinal cells
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports laboratory experiments in which a 33-mer gliadin peptide, a wheat protein fragment linked to celiac disease, did not trigger an inflammatory response but reduced flagellin-driven signaling through Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). The authors suggest that accumulation of the peptide could interfere with mucosal immune responses.
- Published
- Oct 12, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.10.758210
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Serotonin receptor blocker WAY-100635 preserves neurons after brain injury in mice
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports a study of male mice in which daily treatment with WAY-100635, a serotonin 1A receptor antagonist, began 1 hour after an injury to the cortex. Treated mice had better neuron and synapse survival, vision and early motor performance, and less microglial and macrophage activation, although the authors note that cortical cavity volume was not significantly reduced.
- Published
- Oct 12, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.11.758371
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Gut microbiome differences between ethnic groups persist over six years
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, follows 1,903 people from six ethnic groups in the HELIUS cohort over six years. The authors report that ethnic differences in gut microbiome composition and function were largely preserved, with only modest convergence, and because this is an observational cohort study it shows patterns rather than causes.
- Published
- Oct 12, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.12.757716
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Interruptions carry a hidden cognitive cost for UK hospital outpatient doctors
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports a qualitative study based on focus groups and interviews with 42 doctors working in UK outpatient departments of the National Health Service. The authors find that the main cost of an interruption comes from returning to the interrupted task, that this cost grows with complexity, and that interventions should support task resumption and rebuild shared communication norms.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.11.26365196
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Adolescents with major depression show lower levels of protective blood markers
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, compares 80 adolescents with major depressive disorder with 53 healthy controls and finds lower levels of several metabolic, vascular and lipid markers in those with the disorder. The authors report that these markers correlated with childhood trauma and family dysfunction, and because the study is cross-sectional it shows associations rather than causes.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.11.26365268
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
New method maps mitochondrial DNA variants cell by cell in human blood
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, describes scMOCHA, a computational tool that reads mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants from single-cell RNA sequencing data, applied to public datasets from blood and bone marrow cells. The authors report previously unknown cell-type-specific and disease-associated variants, which they say may contribute to disease through effects on inflammation.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.11.758340
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Cyclic hypoxia drives WNT5A-ROR1 signaling that promotes breast cancer growth
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports that cells in a co-culture model of triple-negative breast cancer respond differently to cyclic hypoxia, oxygen levels that rise and fall, than to stable hypoxia. The authors report that disrupting a WNT5A-ROR1 signal between fibroblasts and cancer cells reduced tumor growth in a mouse co-xenograft model.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.11.758391
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
A colorectal cancer cell state shows selective sensitivity to erdafitinib
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, tested 127 patient biopsies of colorectal cancer ex vivo with drugs, alongside matched transcriptomic data, and identified a ciliogenic (cilia-related) cell state that was selectively sensitive to the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor erdafitinib. The authors report that this signature was associated with poor progression-free survival, and that knockdown of the regulators RFX2 and RFX3 reduced the sensitivity.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.12.756637
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Syndecan-1 is mainly epithelial, challenging its specificity as a blood marker
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, maps syndecan-1 (SDC1) and the related syndecan family members in mouse and human tissues, including lung, gut and brain, using immunostaining, spatial transcriptomics and single-cell atlases. It finds SDC1 mainly in epithelial cells, and the authors say this raises the possibility that epithelial injury contributes to circulating SDC1 after trauma and critical illness.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.12.758409
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Fast dopamine signals measured in the human nose during reward learning
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports sub-second dopamine measurements from the olfactory epithelium of healthy people during a liquid-reward conditioning task and a monetary-reward economic game. The authors report that peak dopamine shifts from rewards to predictive cues as trials progress, and say the nose may offer a minimally invasive way to record fast dopamine signaling in humans.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.07.757414
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Human dendritic cells kill Leishmania parasites using granzyme B and granulysin
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports laboratory experiments showing that human dendritic cells survive Leishmania infection and destroy the parasites, in contrast to macrophages. The authors report that the process involves granzyme B and granulysin, molecules that cytolytic T cells and natural killer cells also use to destroy infected or aberrant cells.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.08.757588
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Mechanically driven fluid can produce signals resembling brain recordings
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports phantom experiments with conductive fluid, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and recordings in people. The authors found that moving conductive fluid generated signals resembling electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) without neural tissue, and argue that neural currents and fluid motion cannot readily be separated, which challenges a common assumption.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.08.757789
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Losing tyrosine hydroxylase in rat midbrain cells reduces neuregulin1 early
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports that CRISPR gene editing knocked out tyrosine hydroxylase, the enzyme that makes dopamine, in dopamine neurons of the adult rat midbrain, reducing midbrain TH and dopamine by 90% two weeks after injection. The authors report reduced neuregulin1 in those neurons and suggest the early transcriptional changes could provide potential biomarkers for Parkinson's disease and related disorders.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.757761
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Five-item short forms of youth depression questionnaires perform comparably
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, tests 5-item short forms drawn from four widely used youth symptom questionnaires in a large, racially diverse sample across community and academic outpatient mental health settings. The short forms correlated highly with the full measures and were about as accurate for identifying depression, and the authors say they may be useful brief assessments.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.13.26365293
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Genomic copy number variants are linked to microbes in chronic wounds
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, examines associations between genomic copy number variants (CNVs) and microbial species in 597 patients with chronic wounds, finding 47 CNVs associated with 25 species. The authors report that most significant associations involved haplotype dosage and point to extracellular matrix genes, though these are associations rather than proven causes.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.13.26365461
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Neighborhood socioeconomic status and environmental burden have opposite links
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, studies 281 predominantly Black older adults and finds that lower neighborhood socioeconomic status was associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment, while greater environmental burden was associated with lower odds, with years of education as a moderator. The authors conclude that composite neighborhood measures may obscure these distinct pathways.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.13.26365488
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Blood glucose variability in women shifts across the menstrual cycle
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, analyzes continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data from 209 naturally cycling women without diabetes. The authors report that several glucose variability measures peak in the late luteal phase while mean glucose did not vary, and that breakfasts eaten in the luteal phase showed a higher peak rise and faster descent, which they suggest should be considered when CGM data are interpreted.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365513
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Clinicians describe uncertainty when women stop or restart hormone replacement
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports a qualitative study of 15 healthcare professionals in National Health Service (NHS) primary care, based on semi-structured interviews about supporting women who stop or restart hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The authors describe discontinuation as an iterative process shaped by uncertainty, in which decisions depend on symptoms, readiness and life stage, and they say decisions should be woman led with clinician support.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365532
Peer-reviewed studyPNAS
Mechanical force channel TcPiezo2 drives calcium transfer in Trypanosoma cruzi
A peer-reviewed study in PNAS reports, in Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease, a lysosome-to-mitochondrion calcium pathway mediated by the mechano/osmosensitive channel TcPiezo2. The authors report that disrupting this transfer impaired mitochondrial metabolism, induced autophagy and eventually led to parasite death.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.1073/pnas.2627551123
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Four gut microbes reshape laboratory mouse immunity toward human patterns
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports that a defined consortium of four enteric microbes spanning viruses, fungi and protists reproduced key immune features of pet store mice and adult humans. In mice, the consortium also shifted tumor patterns toward those of familial adenomatous polyposis in humans and recapitulated the imperfect response of many patients to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.757975
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Minocycline reshapes the gut microbiome in a trial involving alcohol use disorder
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports a four-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of minocycline (100-200 mg/day) in adults with alcohol use disorder and healthy controls. Compared with placebo, minocycline restructured the gut microbiome over time, and the authors say this effect was independent of diagnosis, while the microbiome also differed between people with alcohol use disorder and controls.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.758026
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Community exercise programme linked to better physical function in older adults
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports a 36-week community multicomponent exercise programme (the Vivifrail model) across two cohorts of 178 older adults, in a single-arm service evaluation with no control group. The authors report a mean gain of 1.33 points on the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and a fall in probable sarcopenia from 17.4% to 5.4%, and they say the design precludes causal inference.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365508
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Antifungal terconazole disrupts RhoJ-PAK3 binding in live cells
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, uses molecular dynamics simulations and virtual screening to propose that the antifungal drug terconazole binds an allosteric pocket in the RhoJ protein, which regulates tumor angiogenesis. In a live-cell biosensor, the authors report that terconazole disrupted the RhoJ:PAK3 interaction in a dose-dependent manner, which they describe as proof of concept for targeting this pocket.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.758331
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Economic hardship helps explain brain differences tied to family substance use
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, analyzes baseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study and reports that environmental adversity mediated links between family history of substance use disorder (SUD) and brain transition energy, mainly through economic hardship in females. The authors say the mediation was weaker and less explained in males, and that the economic hardship pathway may be potentially modifiable.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.759285
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Fusing a binding module to a fungal cutinase speeds polyurethane breakdown
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports a synthetic biology screen of 96 constructs in Yarrowia lipolytica, the best of which fused the FoCut5a cutinase enzyme to a carbohydrate-binding module (TrCBM1). The authors report that the fusion broke down polyester-polyurethane dispersion faster than the unfused enzyme, releasing 1,6-hexanediol and adipic acid, and they suggest the host could serve as a platform for polymer upcycling.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.15.759203
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Kilohertz electrical stimulation activates neurons widely in mice
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, uses two-photon imaging in mice, immunohistochemistry and computational modeling to study temporal interference (TI) stimulation. The authors report that kilohertz-frequency stimulation alone evoked neuronal activity, while the low-frequency amplitude modulation organized responses into rhythms that were strongest near the center of interference.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.15.759497
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Aerial imaging of nursery plants predicts maize and pea field performance
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, tests whether phenomic data from unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying over nursery-grown plants can predict their performance in field trials without genotyping them. The authors report average accuracies of 0.36 for maize and 0.40 for pea in the most challenging scenarios for yield-related traits, and say simulations suggest the approach could support substantial nursery culling.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.16.757273