Pharmaceuticals News

September 22, 2025

Top Headlines

A Hormone That Silences the Immune System May Unlock New Cancer Treatments

Sep. 22, 2025 — Scientists have discovered that cancer uses a hidden hormone to switch off the body’s natural defenses, allowing tumors to grow unchecked. By uncovering this secret signal, they found a way to block it and restore the immune system’s ability to ...

Alcohol’s Hidden Shortcut Lets Gut Bacteria Wreck the Liver

Sep. 19, 2025 — Alcohol-associated liver disease is becoming a massive health and economic burden, but researchers at UC San Diego may have uncovered a new way forward. They discovered that chronic alcohol use blocks a crucial protein that normally helps keep gut ...

Semaglutide May Silence the Food Noise in Your Head

Sep. 16, 2025 — People taking semaglutide report far fewer obsessive thoughts about food, with cravings dropping sharply and mental health improving. This new research hints the drug may offer freedom from the constant distraction of food ...

Why so Many Young Kids with ADHD Are Getting the Wrong Treatment

Sep. 16, 2025 — Preschoolers with ADHD are often given medication right after diagnosis, against medical guidelines that recommend starting with behavioral therapy. Limited access to therapy and physician pressures drive early prescribing, despite risks and reduced ...

Hidden Gut Molecule Found to Wreck Kidneys

Sep. 12, 2025 — Scientists discovered that a gut bacteria molecule called corisin can travel to the kidneys, triggering inflammation and scarring that lead to diabetic kidney fibrosis. By attaching to albumin in the blood, corisin infiltrates kidney tissue and ...

Blood Test Spots Hidden Mesothelioma That Scans Can’t See

Sep. 11, 2025 — New research suggests that immunotherapy given before and after surgery could help patients with diffuse pleural mesothelioma, one of the most challenging cancers to treat. A phase II clinical trial tested immunotherapy in resectable cases, with ...

Metformin’s Secret Brain Pathway Revealed After 60 Years

Sep. 10, 2025 — Metformin, long trusted for diabetes, turns out to work in the brain too. By shutting down Rap1 in the hypothalamus, the drug lowers blood sugar more effectively than previously understood, opening doors for new ...

Seven Blood Molecules That Could Explain Why You’re Always Sleepy

Sep. 8, 2025 — Scientists discovered seven molecules in the blood linked to excessive daytime sleepiness, a condition that affects one in three Americans and raises the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. The study highlights the role of both diet and ...

A Common Supplement Could Reverse the Hidden Harm of Sucralose

Sep. 6, 2025 — Sucralose, the sugar substitute in many diet products, may weaken cancer immunotherapy by altering gut bacteria and reducing arginine levels needed for immune cells. But supplementation with arginine or citrulline could counteract this effect, ...

Beet Juice Secretly Helps Older Adults Lower Blood Pressure in Just Two Weeks

Aug. 31, 2025 — Drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice lowered blood pressure in older adults by reshaping their oral microbiome, according to researchers at the University of Exeter. The study found that beneficial ...

Tiny Eye Implant Becomes the First FDA-approved Therapy for Rare Blindness

Aug. 29, 2025 — For people with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), an orphan retinal disorder that gradually destroys central vision, there have long been no approved treatment options. But now, a new study sponsored by Neurotech Pharmaceuticals and ...

Lithium Deficiency May Be the Hidden Spark Behind Alzheimer’s

Aug. 29, 2025 — Harvard scientists have uncovered that lithium, a naturally occurring element in the brain, may be the missing piece in understanding Alzheimer’s. Their decade-long research shows that lithium depletion—caused by amyloid plaques binding to ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:12am EDT

Common Painkillers Like Advil and Tylenol Supercharge Antibiotic Resistance

Aug. 26, 2025 — Painkillers we often trust — ibuprofen and acetaminophen — may be quietly accelerating one of the world’s greatest health crises: antibiotic resistance. Researchers discovered that these drugs ...

Your Brain Works Overtime at Night to Burn Fat and Prevent Sugar Crashes

Aug. 24, 2025 — Researchers uncovered that hypothalamic neurons safeguard blood sugar overnight by directing fat breakdown, preventing hypoglycemia during early sleep. This subtle control system may explain abnormal ...

Tiny Green Tea Beads Trap Fat and Melt Away Pounds Without Side Effects

Aug. 24, 2025 — Researchers have created plant-based microbeads that trap fat in the gut, helping rats lose weight without side effects. Unlike current drugs, the beads are safe, tasteless, and easy to mix into ...

Trojan Horse Bacteria Sneak Cancer-Killing Viruses Into Tumors

Aug. 17, 2025 — Scientists have engineered a groundbreaking cancer treatment that uses bacteria to smuggle viruses directly into tumors, bypassing the immune system and delivering a powerful one-two punch against ...

One Small Walking Adjustment Could Delay Knee Surgery for Years

Aug. 16, 2025 — A groundbreaking study has found that a simple change in walking style can ease osteoarthritis pain as effectively as medication—without the side effects. By adjusting foot angle, participants ...

A $2 Gold Nanotech Test That Detects Deadly Diseases in Minutes

Aug. 15, 2025 — Arizona State University scientists have unveiled NasRED, a revolutionary one-drop blood test that can detect diseases like COVID-19, Ebola, HIV, and Lyme with incredible speed and precision. Using ...

What Really Happens to Your Body When You Stop Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic

Aug. 8, 2025 — Stopping prescription weight loss drugs often leads to significant weight regain, according to a large-scale analysis of 11 global studies. ...

Reversing Alzheimer's Damage: Two Cancer Drugs Demonstrate Surprising Power

July 31, 2025 — In an exciting breakthrough, researchers have identified cancer drugs that might reverse the effects of Alzheimer's disease in the brain. By analyzing gene expression in brain cells, they discovered ...

This Gut Hormone Could Explain 40% of IBS-D Cases—and Lead to a Cure

July 29, 2025 — A mysterious gut hormone may be behind many cases of chronic diarrhea, especially in people with undiagnosed bile acid malabsorption, a condition often mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome. ...

Can AI Predict Cancer? New Model Uses Genomics to Simulate Tumors

July 27, 2025 — A team of scientists has developed a remarkable new approach to modeling how cells behave over time—using a digital "forecast" much like predicting the weather. By combining patient genomics with a ...

The Plant Virus That Trains Your Immune System to Kill Cancer

July 25, 2025 — A virus from humble black-eyed peas is showing extraordinary promise in the fight against cancer. Unlike other plant viruses, the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) can awaken the human immune system and ...

People With Eating Disorders Say Cannabis and Psychedelics Help More Than Antidepressants

July 24, 2025 — A massive global survey has revealed that people with eating disorders often turn to cannabis and psychedelics like magic mushrooms and LSD to ease their symptoms, rating them more effective than ...

Breakthrough: How Radiation Helps the Immune System Kill Cancer

July 23, 2025 — Radiation therapy, once thought of mainly as a local cancer treatment, is now showing power to awaken the immune system in surprising ways. Researchers discovered that combining radiation with ...

In Seconds, AI Builds Proteins to Battle Cancer and Antibiotic Resistance

July 11, 2025 — Artificial intelligence is now designing custom proteins in seconds—a process that once took years—paving the way for cures to diseases like cancer and antibiotic-resistant infections. Australian ...

From Cursed Tomb Fungus to Cancer Cure: Aspergillus Flavus Yields Potent New Drug

June 23, 2025 — In a remarkable twist of science, researchers have transformed a fungus long associated with death into a potential weapon against cancer. Found in tombs like that of King Tut, Aspergillus flavus was ...

Superbugs in Your Shrimp: Deadly Colistin-Resistance Genes Ride on Imported Seafood

June 22, 2025 — Colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, is losing its power due to rising resistance—and the culprits might be hiding in your seafood dinner. A University of Georgia research team discovered ...

FDA Under Fire: Data Discrepancies Uncovered in AstraZeneca Approval Trials

June 21, 2025 — Fresh concerns have emerged about the platelet studies underpinning the FDA approval of ticagrelor, AstraZeneca's multibillion-dollar heart drug. A new BMJ investigation reveals data ...

CRISPR-Edited Stem Cells Reveal Hidden Causes of Autism

June 14, 2025 — A team at Kobe University has created a game-changing resource for autism research: 63 mouse embryonic stem cell lines, each carrying a genetic mutation strongly associated with the disorder. By ...

How a Common Antibiotic Fuels Bacterial Resistance

June 9, 2025 — A new Rutgers Health study reveals a surprising twist in the antibiotic resistance story: instead of simply killing bacteria, drugs like ciprofloxacin can actually trigger a kind of microbial ...

Shocking Brain Cancer Breakthrough: Electric Fields Supercharge Immune Assault

June 9, 2025 — A breakthrough study from Keck Medicine of USC may have found a powerful new triple therapy for glioblastoma, one of the deadliest brain cancers. By combining Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), which ...

Insect Protein Blocks Bacterial Infection

June 2, 2025 — Scientists in Australia have developed a smart, bacteria-repelling coating based on resilin the ultra-elastic protein that gives fleas their legendary jumping power. When applied to surfaces like ...

Preventing Chronic Inflammation from Turning Into Cancer

June 2, 2025 — Chronic inflammatory bowel disease is challenging to treat and carries a risk of complications, including the development of bowel cancer. Young people are particularly affected: when genetic ...

Innovative Immunotherapy Shows Promise Against Aggressive T Cell Cancers

May 30, 2025 — An international clinical trial shows an innovative CAR-T cell immunotherapy is promising against aggressive T cell cancers and has manageable side ...

Unlocking Precise Composition Analysis of Nanomedicines

May 29, 2025 — Current regulations for nanomedicines overlook the effects of the different forms of the same element, such as ions, nanoparticles, and aggregates. In a recent study, researchers developed a new ...

Genetic Deep Dive Dispels Fear of Hybrid Worm Threat

May 28, 2025 — Parasitic worms that infect humans are not interbreeding with those that infect cattle as previously thought. This is good news for when it comes to controlling schistosomiasis, a disease caused by ...

Timely Initiation of Statin Therapy for Diabetes Shown to Dramatically Reduce Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

May 27, 2025 — Taking a statin medication is an effective, safe, and low-cost way to lower cholesterol and reduce risk of cardiovascular events. Despite clinicians recommending that many patients with diabetes take ...

Bed-Netting Prototypes to Target Malaria-Causing Parasites

May 21, 2025 — Scientists have fabricated two bed netting prototypes targeting malaria-causing blood parasites. They designed netting systems to deliver antimalarial drugs called Endochin-like Quinolones (ELQs) ...

Engineered Bacteria Can Deliver Antiviral Therapies, Vaccines

May 21, 2025 — New research demonstrates how specially engineered bacteria taken orally can operate as a delivery system for vaccines and antiviral ...

Common Antidepressants Could Help the Immune System Fight Cancer

May 21, 2025 — SSRIs boosted the ability of T cells to kill cancer cells and suppressed tumor growth in both mouse and human tumor ...

Technique Rapidly Measures Cells' Density, Reflecting Health and Developmental State

May 20, 2025 — MIT researchers found a way to measure cell density quickly and accurately -- measuring up to 30,000 cells in a single hour. They also showed density changes could be used to make useful predictions, ...