Philadelphia and New Orleans, May 15, 2025 – In a historic medical breakthrough, a child diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder has been successfully treated with a customized CRISPR gene editing therapy by a team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Penn Medicine. The infant, KJ, was born with a rare metabolic disease known as severe carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency. After spending the first several months of his life in the hospital, on a very restrictive diet, KJ received the first dose of his ...

Infant with rare, incurable disease is first to successfully receive personalized gene therapy treatment NIH-supported gene-editing platform lays groundwork to rapidly develop treatments for other rare genetic diseases A research team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed and safely delivered a personalized gene editing therapy to treat an infant with a life-threatening, incurable genetic disease. The infant, who was diagnosed with the rare condition carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency shortly after birth, has responded positively to the treatment. The process, from diagnosis ...

A dinosaur’s 40-second journey more than 120 million years ago has been brought back to life by a University of Queensland-led research team using advanced digital modelling techniques. Dr Anthony Romilio from UQ’s Dinosaur Lab analysed and reconstructed the Phoenix Trackway, the longest documented set of footprints made by a predator walking on two legs in East Asia. “For the first time this dinosaur’s movements have been reconstructed step by step, revealing how it walked, ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 14 May 2025 The Geological Society of America Release No. 25-07 Contact: Katie Busser +1-303-357-1044 kbusser@geosociety.org GSA and GSA Foundation Announce Record Support for the Geosciences Joint Action Addresses Funding Shortfalls by Federal Scientific Agencies Boulder, Colo., USA: In an extraordinary demonstration of unity and resolve, The Geological Society of America (GSA) Council and the GSA Foundation (GSAF) Board of Trustees announce the approval today of the record level of support they will provide for the geoscience community. The unprecedented support comes amid a rapidly evolving landscape in science funding, with ...

HOUSTON, MAY 14, 2025 ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital today announced a $150 million gift from Kinder Foundation. The transformational gift creates Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, a joint venture of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital, with a single mission: to end childhood cancer. The gift is one of the largest philanthropic donations made to an American pediatric hospital and one ...

  A team of scientists from Keck School of Medicine of USC and USC Viterbi School of Engineering has been awarded an $8 million, five-year grant from one of the National Institutes of Health to launch a Superfund Research Program Center where they will study environmental contamination from “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, which are used to make multiple household items from cookware to furniture. With the grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the USC scientists are establishing the Southern California ...

An international study led by Paolo Fiorina from Boston Children’s Hospital and in collaboration with researchers from University of Milan highlights the beneficial effect of inhibiting the death receptor TMEM219 to restore mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel diseases. Findings were published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Fiorina and colleagues demonstrated that the pharmacological blockade of TMEM219 signal through a recombinant protein based on the extracellular portion of the TMEM219 receptor is able to preserve self-renewal ability of intestinal stem cells in inflammatory bowel disease, protect intestinal stem cells from cell death induced ...

Join the world’s leading MS experts, clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates as they assemble for the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, May 28-31 in Phoenix. AZ—North America’s ultimate destination for those dedicated to transforming MS care. This year’s theme, “MS Heroes Unite,” honors the remarkable individuals driving progress across all fronts of MS—from cutting-edge science to compassionate, comprehensive care. Featured Hero Lectures include: June Halper Memorial Lecture; The Evolution ...

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have discovered that Cepheid variable stars in our neighboring galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), are moving in opposing directions along two distinct axes. They found that stars closer to Earth move towards the northeast, while more distant stars move southwest. This newly discovered movement pattern exists alongside a northwest-southeast opposing movement that the scientists previously observed in massive stars. These complex bidirectional movements along two different axes indicate that the SMC is being ...

Fukuoka, Japan—From Tama, Japan’s most famous stationmaster calico cat, to the lasagna-loving, ginger Garfield, cats with orange fur are both cultural icons and beloved pets. But their distinctive color comes with a genetic twist—most orange tabbies are male, while calicos and tortoiseshells are nearly always female. This pattern points to an unknown “orange gene” on the X chromosome, but identifying this gene has eluded scientists for decades. Now, researchers from Kyushu University, Japan, have found the X-linked mutation behind orange fur in house cats. This deletion mutation, a type of mutation where ...

Francis Crick Institute press release Under strict embargo: 16:00hrs BST Thursday 15 May 2025 Peer reviewed Experimental study Cells New stem cell model sheds light on human amniotic sac development Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have developed a new stem cell model of the mature human amniotic sac, which replicates development of the tissues supporting the embryo from two to four weeks after fertilisation. This is the first model of amniotic sac development after two weeks. As described in research published today in Cell, the new model can be used to study the origin ...

For men who undergo a radical prostatectomy for the treatment of prostate cancer, post-surgery radiation therapy can play a vital role in reducing the risk of recurrence. Despite its benefits, many patients decline or defer radiation because it requires daily sessions for several weeks.  Now, a new study published in JAMA Oncology and led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators suggests there may be a faster option. Researchers found that stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), a form of high-dose radiation delivered in just five sessions, is as safe as conventional treatment, with similar side effects and a similar impact on ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, long-term survival was similar following simple hysterectomy vs modified radical hysterectomy or radical hysterectomy, supporting the use of simple hysterectomy in select patients with low-risk early-stage cervical carcinoma. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Kathleen M. Darcy, PhD (darcyk@whirc.org) and Christopher M. Tarney (christopher.m.tarney.mil@health.mil). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10717) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, ...

About The Study: The results of this randomized clinical trial suggest that while over-the-counter (OTC) and OTC+ (audiologists provided limited services for OTC hearing aids) service models were effective, they did not achieve the same outcomes as the audiologists fitted prescription hearing aids following best practices service model. As high-end and low-end hearing aids yielded similar outcomes, support for the higher cost of high-end hearing aids was not identified for individuals with mild ...

Auxin is the first plant hormone—or "phytohormone"—ever identified, with its discovery dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With its discovery, scientists began to understand how small, self-produced organic molecules could influence physiological processes in plants such as growth, cell division, flowering, fruit ripening, and stress responses. The auxin family of phytohormones promotes cell elongation and root development and is involved in directional growth, such as growing toward light. It works by moving directionally within plant tissues to establish concentration ...

Many an orange cat-affiliated human will vouch for their cat’s, let’s say, specialness. But now scientists have confirmed that there is, in fact, something unique about ginger-hued domestic felines. In a new study, Stanford Medicine researchers have discovered the long-posited but elusive genetic mutation that makes orange cats orange — and it appears to occur in no other mammal. The finding adds to our understanding of how subtle genetic changes give rise to new traits, the researchers said. Lots of mammals come in shades of orange — think tigers, ...

Seattle, WASH.—May 15, 2025—The Allen Institute today announced the launch of CellScapes, a bold new research initiative aimed at revolutionizing how scientists understand and predict the behavior of human cells as they work together to build tissues and organs. The goal: to uncover the rules and principles of how cells cooperate to make decisions in the body and provide scientists with the tools to predict—and even design—how cells behave together in health and disease.  CellScapes introduces a groundbreaking approach that will combine cutting-edge imaging and powerful ...

At its heart, this research uncovers the hidden geometric principles behind the unique shape of rose petals. While scientists extensively studied shape morphing in natural sheets such as leaves and petals, the team at Hebrew University discovered a new player: MCP incompatibility—a geometric principle that causes the petal’s signature cusps. It turns out that as the petal grows, stress builds at the edges, shaping the curves we recognize and love. The discovery not only uncovered the geometric origin of the shape of rose petals, but also introduces a new paradigm for ...

A new study shows that highlighting shared values and common goals can significantly increase the acceptance of civic organizations that are often seen as controversial and delegitimized for challenging the status quo. The research tested different messaging strategies on more than 1,600 Jewish Israeli participants, using real-world examples from a delegitimized prominent NGO. Messages that focused on widely supported activities—like providing services to marginalized communities—or that framed the organization as part of a shared value-based identity led to greater perceived legitimacy. The findings offer a practical ...

South African study identifies two new breast cancer genes in black women   Genetic factors contribute to some 30% of breast cancer cases in SA, necessitating investment in genomic research in African contexts.   A seminal genetic study published in Nature Communication has discovered two genetic variants linked to breast cancer in black South African women, deepening knowledge about the genetic basis for this disease in African populations. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) of breast cancer is the first to have been done in African women living on the continent. A GWAS is a powerful ...

A new, incision-free technique developed at UVA Health to treat debilitating brain lesions called cerebral cavernous malformations, or cavernomas, has shown great promise in early testing, halting the growth of the lesions almost entirely. The new approach could represent a paradigm shift in how the malformations, commonly called CCMs, are treated, the researchers say. The technique uses tiny, gas-filled “microbubbles” propelled by focused sound waves to open the brain’s protective barrier and stunt the growth of the malformations. “This is a clear example ...

Prevention and treatment campaigns are not adequately targeting the particular needs of the 50+ years age group. Indeed, between 2000 and 2016, the number of adults aged 50 years and older living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa doubled. At present, their HIV prevalence is exceeding that of younger adults. By 2040, one-quarter of people living with HIV in Africa will be aged 50 years and older; tailored awareness and treatment campaigns are pressing. Dr Luicer Olubayo, a researcher at the Sydney Brenner ...

There is always a need for a refrigerant with a large ΔH at operating temperature. On the other hand, refrigeration equipment generally available typically functions near/below RT. Thus, for ferroelectric refrigeration to be practical, a large ΔH at a transition near/below RT is essential. Representative PST ceramics demonstrate substantial promise for EC refrigeration near RT, attracting considerable interest. The highly ordered PST ceramic always has excellent EC properties, while it is difficult to achieve. Previous researchers often employed a heat treatment process combining high-temperature quenching and long-term annealing to obtain highly ...

New research uncovers the strongest solar event ever detected — rewriting our understanding of space weather and radiocarbon dating. An international team of scientists has discovered an extreme spike in radiocarbon corresponding to the year 12350 BC during the dusk of the last Ice Age. However, the strength of the event could not be assessed earlier because of the lack of an appropriate model. Presently, it has been identified as the most powerful solar particle storm known to date – a colossal ...

The study, in which the Biodiversity and Evolution Research Group of the UPV/EHU’s Faculty of Science and Technology participated, was carried out within the framework of the international DarkDivNet network and focused on nearly 5,500 locations in 119 regions across the world. In each location studied, the research teams analysed all the plant species present in different habitats to identify dark diversity. This innovative methodology for studying biodiversity made it possible to estimate the potential plant diversity in each study site and compare it with the plants actually present.  The results reveal a hitherto unknown effect of human activities on biodiversity. ...