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Medicine 2026-03-18

Jagged1 protein builds a highway for breast cancer cells to spread

Researchers at Abo Akademi University found that the protein Jagged1 activates fibroblasts to deposit and align collagen fibers, creating physical pathways for breast cancer metastasis. The mechanism feeds a self-reinforcing cycle through TGF-beta signaling, suggesting new targets for aggressive, hormone-receptor-negative tumors.
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Science 2026-03-18

Iran called him a spy. Now he has won the world's top water prize

Professor Kaveh Madani, branded a 'water terrorist' and forced into exile from Iran for speaking about the country's water crisis, has been named the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize laureate. The CCNY professor and UN water institute director is the youngest recipient in the award's 35-year history.
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Medicine 2026-03-18

One drop of fingertip blood now measures T cell immunity to TB and COVID

A new platform called TOI-IGRA measures pathogen-specific T cell responses using just 15-25 microliters of fingertip blood. The system simultaneously evaluates cellular and antibody immunity, requires no venous draw or expensive lab infrastructure, and can be adapted for different pathogens by swapping antigen libraries.
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Medicine 2026-03-18

CRISPR nanoparticles built CAR-T cells inside mice and beat lab-made ones

A dual-nanoparticle system delivered CRISPR editing tools directly to T cells in living mice, inserting cancer-fighting CAR genes at a precise genomic location. The in vivo-engineered cells cleared aggressive leukemia within two weeks, fought solid tumors, and showed superior stemness compared to conventionally manufactured CAR-T cells.
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Science 2026-03-18

How the cinchona tree makes quinine - solved after a century of effort

After a century of searching, researchers have identified the complete enzymatic pathway by which cinchona trees produce quinine and related alkaloids. The discovery of five new enzymes - including a transferase that performs an unusual ring-forming reaction - enables biotechnological production of these compounds for the first time.
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Environment 2026-03-18

Carbon contamination, not intrinsic properties, drives static charging

Using acoustically levitated silica grains, physicists at ISTA discovered that environmental carbon molecules on material surfaces determine the direction of charge transfer between identical insulators. The finding resolves a long-standing mystery and could reshape understanding of volcanic lightning and protoplanetary disk physics.
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Medicine 2026-03-18

Ancient DNA shows Andean farming spread through culture, not conquest

Ancient DNA from 46 individuals spanning 2,000 years in Argentina shows that Andean farming spread through cultural adoption by local hunter-gatherers, not population replacement. A later wave of maize-dependent migrants, linked by maternal kinship, arrived during a period of climate instability, disease, and nutritional stress.
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Medicine 2026-03-18

Tumors devour glutathione as fuel, and an old drug may cut their supply

Cancer cells are metabolizing glutathione - the body's most abundant antioxidant - as a direct nutrient source, not just using it for oxidative defense. Breast tumor fluid contained large glutathione stores, and blocking its uptake slowed tumor growth in preclinical models. A previously developed drug may be repurposed to target this pathway.
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Medicine 2026-03-18

Heme from failing mitochondria locks T cells into permanent exhaustion

Researchers have identified a molecular chain reaction in which damaged mitochondria release heme into the nucleus, destroying the transcription factor Bach2 and permanently shutting down cancer-fighting T cells. Brief treatment with low-dose bortezomib during CAR-T manufacturing interrupted this pathway and restored durable immune function in preclinical models.
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