Peer-reviewed studyPNAS
Study pins down a site on the tau protein that drives its clumping
A peer-reviewed study reports that tau, a protein that forms clumps in neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies, builds its clumps through one dominant contact point. The study reports that blocking this point disrupted clumping and led to shorter fibrils.
- Published
- Oct 12, 2026
DOI 10.1073/pnas.2611158123
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Immune receptor in certain neurons shapes anxiety-like behavior in mice
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports experiments in mice in which removing the interferon-gamma receptor from one type of neuron, called somatostatin interneurons, increased anxiety-like behavior. The authors also report that inflammation lowered several molecular markers in control mice, and that this drop was not significant in mice without the receptor.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.06.757042
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Mating shapes organ aging in a short-lived killifish, a preprint reports
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, uses the short-lived killifish to study how lifelong mating affects organ aging. The authors report that mating dampened inflammation and reduced lipid buildup in old female livers, and that it was associated with better resilience to the liver toxin acetaminophen.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.08.757363
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Nutrition therapy with obesity medications linked to more weight loss
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, is a retrospective cohort study of 4,269 adults in a telemedicine obesity program. Over 12 months, people who received individualized nutritional therapy alongside incretin-based obesity medications lost more weight than those on medication alone. As an observational comparison, it shows an association, not proof that the therapy caused the difference.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.26365158
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Long delays before tuberculosis testing may cause false rifampin resistance
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, tested the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum samples with added bacteria. Leaving samples in reagent beyond the manufacturer's recommended 4-hour limit, or at higher temperatures, produced false rifampin resistance results at low bacterial levels. The authors note that freezing samples may reduce this risk, but it is not yet an approved procedure.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.10.758171
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Cancer study links tumor antioxidant activity to adverse outcomes
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, analyzes public tumor gene data across cancer types. It reports that tumors raised both reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and antioxidant defense compared with normal tissue, and that the antioxidant arm was linked to adverse outcome while generation was not. The authors say the link between the balance score and immune infiltration comes from how that score is defined.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.10.758205
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Clinical foundation model compares two ways of predicting patient risk
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, describes a 65-million-parameter clinical foundation model trained on electronic health records from 3.77 million patients at a single hospital. For five-year chronic kidney disease, fatty liver and diabetes risk, predictors built on patient representations outperformed estimates from generated clinical event sequences. The generated approach did better at predicting same-day diagnoses, prescriptions and procedures.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.11.26365210
Final reportCDC MMWR
Cardiovascular health of high school students measured in 2025 survey
A CDC report estimates five cardiovascular health measures among U.S. high school students: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep health and body mass index (BMI). The estimates come from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 2025.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
Peer-reviewed studyPNAS
Shading tea plants raises selenium in their leaves, study reports
A peer-reviewed study reports that shading increased selenium (Se) accumulation in tea leaves when selenium supply was sufficient, based on field experiments. The authors link this to a gene pathway that converts selenium forms, and note that limited selenium in crops contributes to widespread dietary Se deficiency.
- Published
- Oct 14, 2026
DOI 10.1073/pnas.2535927123
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Early Alzheimer's changes in locus coeruleus neurons seen in young mice
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, studies locus coeruleus neurons in young 3xTg mice, a model of Alzheimer's disease, before substantial neurodegeneration. The authors report reduced excitatory and increased inhibitory synaptic input, and changes in potassium and sodium currents that they say may alter how these cells fire. They note the locus coeruleus is among the earliest brain regions affected in Alzheimer's disease.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.07.757306
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Model suggests alpha-synuclein clumps form through condensation
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, combines reconstruction experiments, computational modeling and a cell system to suggest that alpha-synuclein can phase separate with an interacting partner to form Lewy body-like structures. The authors report these structures associate with redistributed actin and mitochondria, and propose a seed-independent route to insoluble fibrils. They say the framework may guide the design of new therapeutic interventions.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.757996
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Slower quick walking speed linked to dementia risk in a heart study
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, analyzes data from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. Slower quick walking speed was associated with incident dementia over 10-year follow-up, while usual walking speed was not. The authors also report links between slower walking and worse executive function and stroke, mostly in men; these are associations, not proof of cause.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.13.26365066
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Data-driven system for insulin pump dosing in type 2 diabetes tested in 97 patients
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, describes a long short-term memory-based system that suggests initial prescriptions and daily basal and bolus titration for people with type 2 diabetes on insulin pumps. In 97 patients from the model-directed arm of a randomized trial, median time in range was 84.5%, with low hypoglycemic exposure. The authors say higher mean glucose in the first 24 hours was linked to poorer control later.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.13.26365400
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Melanoma genetics study links skin cancer risk to immune and signaling genes
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports a meta-analysis of melanoma genetic studies covering 69,871 cases and 1,616,233 controls. It identifies 156 independent signals at 116 risk loci, and says about 22% of loci include potential causal genes in the WNT/beta-catenin signaling pathway. The authors also report a new risk score that improved prediction beyond age and sex.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365068
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Survey of Indian platform users finds attitudes to antibiotics weakest
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, is a cross-sectional online survey of 4,883 completed responses from users of the Tata 1mg digital healthcare platform in India, on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Attitudes scored lower than knowledge, and 42.0% said their last antibiotic did not come on a doctor's recommendation. The authors say a survey of platform users cannot establish what drives antibiotic use.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365518
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Tau is linked to altered oxygen levels in the cortex of mouse models
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, measures oxygen levels in awake rTg4510 and THY-Tau22 mice. The authors report that in rTg4510 mice, capillary oxygen was elevated at 6 months but reduced at 9 months, and that tissue oxygen was lower in tangle-positive areas. They suggest neuronal loss may reflect a global reduction in cortical oxygenation rather than local oxygen levels.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.09.757981
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Simulations link vaccination and workplace limits to Ontario COVID-19 hospital demand
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, uses a model calibrated to Ontario incidence and hospital admissions before Omicron. Its simulations found that vaccination combined with workplace and community contact restrictions kept projected severe-case demand within an illustrative capacity benchmark, while relaxing either setting produced large surges. School-only changes had smaller effects on severe disease.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365553
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Social-needs codes linked to more emergency visits across 21 U.S. health systems
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, examines records covering 4.95 million patients in 21 health systems. Adults with a first outpatient Z59 social-needs code, which records hardship such as housing, food or transportation problems, had 67% more emergency department visits and 43% more hospital admissions in the next year than similar uncoded patients. The authors say the code added no increment to risk prediction models.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365559
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Tumor metabolism shapes glycoRNA on cancer cells, affecting immune response
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, studies breast cancer cells with different metabolic profiles. The authors report that glycolysis reduces DTWD2, which lowers glycoRNA on the cell surface and weakens immune activation, and that restoring glycoRNA enhanced the effect of PD-1 blockade in their experiments. They also report that lower glycoRNA abundance is associated with tumor stage and prognosis.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.14.759094
Preprint, not peer-reviewedmedRxiv
Machine models for verbal autopsy data improve cause-of-death assignment
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, analyzes 4,999 verbal autopsy records for deaths at ages 12 years or older from a national sample of registered deaths in South Africa. Supervised models using the questionnaire, the free-text narrative or both improved on InSilicoVA, a current automated method, by 8.5-15.9 percentage points in top-1 accuracy. Physician-assigned causes were the reference standard.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.15.26364476
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
mRNA nanoparticles pairing cGAS and IL-12 control distant tumors in mice
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports that delivering messenger RNA (mRNA) for an autoactivated cGAS (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase) mutant with membrane-tethered interleukin-12 (IL-12) suppressed distal tumors across multiple mouse models. The authors report the combination reduced regulatory T cells, restored effector function in tumor-infiltrating T cells and enhanced response to PD-L1 blockade. They describe the strategy as clinically translatable, but all of the evidence comes from mouse models.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.15.759215
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Statin and probiotic combination eases cholesterol-related damage in rats
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports experiments in male rats fed a high-cholesterol diet for 120 days. From day 90 to 120, atorvastatin combined with Bifidobacterium longum gave greater improvement in liver and aortic tissue, and in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, than atorvastatin alone. The authors describe this as multi-targeted synergy, and all of the evidence comes from rats.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.15.759314
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Childhood adversity linked to adult smoking, drinking and drug use in Germany
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, is a cross-sectional analysis of 172,173 adults aged 19-74 in the German National Cohort (NAKO). Exposure to childhood and adolescent adversity, measured with a trauma screener, was associated with higher odds of smoking, heavier drinking among drinkers and lifetime illicit drug use, with the strongest links for opioid and stimulant use. These are associations, not evidence of cause.
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.12.758429
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Lateral hypothalamic neurons with two peptides shape glucose control in mice
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, reports experiments in mice on lateral hypothalamic neurons that co-express the neuropeptides 26RFa and orexin. The authors found that activating these neurons unexpectedly worsened glucose-induced hyperglycemia, and attribute most of this effect to orexin signaling, while 26RFa signaling regulates orexin expression.
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.13.758728
Preprint, not peer-reviewedbioRxiv
Plant extract combination reduces markers of aged skin cells in lab tests
A preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, tests combinations of H. lupulus and G. biloba extracts on naturally aged human skin cells and on skin explants exposed to UVC irradiation. The authors report a dose-dependent senomorphic effect of up to 45% in aged dermal fibroblasts and a 50% decrease in DNA damage load. They say these are cell and tissue results, not clinical outcomes.
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.10.13.758751