In the event of a severe heart attack, immature immune cells are released into the bloodstream from the bone marrow. A research team led by the University of Münster has demonstrated that the maturity level of neutrophils can be used to determine the short-term risk of death, and this can be assessed through a simple blood test. These findings have been published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research.

Line up the brains of a fish, bird and a mammal, and something unexpected comes up. You do not see three different answers to the problem of making sense of the world. You see one answer, tilted three different ways. "You can really see it's almost like a continuum," says Emre Yaksi, a professor at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience in Trondheim.

Every few scrolls, another health expert appears on the screen. While some are genuinely qualified, others simply sound convincing enough to pass as one. With AI-generated content flooding feeds, avoiding such advice is becoming increasingly difficult. The way people access health advice has shifted, and for many, social media might be a primary source of information. We need to keep up with its impact because, unlike traditional health channels, these platforms often lack strong editorial checks, making it easier for misinformation to spread.

Researchers have long sought to discover why babies who weigh less than expected at birth, a condition known as small for gestational age, or SGA, are at higher risk for heart, lung and metabolic diseases as adults.

Cancer immunotherapy drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can be miracle drugs for cancer patients, curing some and turning deadly disease into a manageable chronic condition in others. But these drugs work for only a subset of patients, with few indications why—a knowledge gap that has detrimental effects on patient prognosis, clinical trial recruitment and research that could lead to new therapies.

A 10-year national study has found improved antimicrobial use in Australian hospitals that regularly monitored their prescribing, using a globally unique program developed by a Melbourne hospital. The study reinforces the importance of antimicrobial stewardship to improve patient care and minimize antimicrobial resistance.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a quarter of cancer deaths can be attributed to one source: cachexia. Cachexia is a syndrome that accompanies underlying chronic illness and causes unwanted muscle and fat loss, reducing quality of life and sometimes even limiting treatment options.

Researchers led by Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt have identified how particularly aggressive forms of lymphoma can be recognized. By combining genetic and proteomic analyses, the scientists identified biological characteristics of tumors, particularly in high-risk patients for whom standard therapy offers little chance of cure. In the future, such patients could receive alternative, more effective therapies directly. In addition, experimental laboratory research provided initial clues to potential therapeutic targets. The study is published in Cancer Cell.

Children who have been in contact with dogs in early childhood are, on average, healthier and require fewer courses of antibiotics than children without such contact. The protective association is explained, at least in part, by the spread of dog-associated microbes in the home.

Enthusiasm receives little attention in psychology. PhD researcher Rijn Vogelaar aims to change that. His doctoral dissertation research shows that enthusiasm is a distinct emotion that not only gives people energy, but also motivates them to take action and connect with others.