Study finds exposure to common air pollutants alters adolescent brain development

For the first time, researchers at OHSU evaluated the long-term impact of air pollution on adolescent brain health and development.
Image Credit: Scientific Frontline / AI generated

Physician-scientists at Oregon Health & Science University warn that exposure to air pollution may have serious implications for a child’s developing brain.

In a recent study published in the journal Environmental Research, researchers in OHSU’s Developmental Brain Imaging Lab found that air pollution is associated with structural changes in the adolescent brain, specifically in the frontal and temporal regions — the areas responsible for executive function, language, mood regulation and socioemotional processing.

Air pollution causes harmful contaminants, such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, to circulate in the environment. It has been exacerbated over the past two centuries by industrialization, vehicle emissions, and, more recently, wildfires.

Exposure to PFAS and PCBs linked to higher odds of MS

Aina Vaivade and Kim Kultima have measured the levels of common environmental pollutants in the blood of people with MS using a mass spectrometer (pictured).
Photo Credit: Tobias Sterner/Uppsala University

People who have been exposed to both PFAS and PCBs are more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). These new research findings are based on analyses of blood samples from more than 1,800 individuals in Sweden, one of the most comprehensive studies to date on the influence of chemical environmental exposure on the development of MS. 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which both genetic and environmental factors can contribute to the risk of the disease. In the current study, researchers analyzed blood from individuals who had recently been diagnosed with MS to investigate concentrations of the common environmental contaminants PFAS and PCBs. 

Dresden Research Group Uncovers New Key Mechanism in Cancer Cells

The research group led by Dr. Mohamed Elgendy (4th from left).
Photo Credit: © MSNZ

A study by the Mildred Scheel Early Career Center group led by Dr. Mohamed Elgendy at the TUD Faculty of Medicine provides fundamental insights into cancer biology. Published in the renowned journal Nature Communications, the study shows for the first time that the protein MCL1 not only inhibits programmed cell death but also plays a central role in tumor metabolism. 

The researchers have succeeded in tracing two classic hallmarks of cancer – the evasion of apoptosis (a form of programmed cell death) and the dysregulation of energy metabolism – back to a common molecular mechanism. 

Capturing the moment a cell shuts the door on free radicals

The moment a cell shuts the door on free radicals.
Illustration Credit: Catrin Jakobsson, Lund University

For the first time, researchers have been able to show how a cell closes the door to free radicals – small oxygen molecules that are sometimes needed, but that can also damage our cells. The study is published in Nature Communications and was led by Lund University. 

For our cells to function, they need to maintain a careful balance between beneficial and harmful oxygen molecules known as free radicals. One of the most important is hydrogen peroxide – the same substance found in disinfectants, but which our cells use in very small amounts to send important signals. However, in excessive concentrations, hydrogen peroxide can cause damage and even cell death.  

What Is: The Phanerozoic Eon

Defining the Eon of Complex Life
Image Credit: Scientific Frontline / AI generated

The Phanerozoic Eon constitutes the current and most biologically dynamic division of the geological time scale. Spanning the interval from approximately 538.8 million years ago (Ma) to the present day, it represents roughly the last 12% of Earth's 4.54-billion-year history. Despite its relatively short duration compared to the preceding Precambrian supereon—which encompasses the Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic eons—the Phanerozoic contains the overwhelming majority of the known fossil record and the entirety of the history of complex, macroscopic animal life.  

Nanotechnology: In-Depth Description

Scientific Frontline / AI generated

Nanotechnology is the branch of science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. It involves the manipulation and control of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale to create materials, devices, and systems with fundamentally new properties and functions.

Molecular Science: In-Depth Description

Image Credit: Scientific Frontline / AI generated

Molecular Science is the cross-disciplinary study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and functional arrangements of molecules. This broad field integrates principles from chemistry, physics, and biology to understand how atoms interact to form matter and how molecular interactions govern natural phenomena. Its primary goal is to elucidate the fundamental rules of molecular behavior to manipulate matter at the nanoscale, enabling the design of new materials, medicines, and energy systems.

Membrane magic: Researchers repurpose fuel cells membranes for new applications

Daniel Hallinan Jr. works with perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers in his lab in the Aero-Propulsion Mechatronics & Energy building at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.
Photo Credit: Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers are applying fuel cell technology to new applications like sustainable energy and water treatment.

In a study published in Frontiers in Membrane Science and Technology, the researchers examined a type of membrane called a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer membrane, or PFSA polymer membrane. These membranes act as filters, allowing protons to move through, but blocking electrons and gases.

In the study, the researchers examined how boiling these membranes — a common treatment applied to the material — affects their performance and helps them work as specialized tools for different applications.

Manta rays create mobile ecosystems

Juvenile Atlantic manta ray swimming over sandflat with remora symbionts in South Florida. 
Photo Credit: Bryant Turffs

A new study from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and the Marine Megafauna Foundation finds that young Caribbean manta rays (Mobula yarae) often swim with groups of other fish, creating small, moving ecosystems that support a variety of marine species.

South Florida—particularly along Palm Beach County—serves as a nursery for juvenile manta rays. For nearly a decade, the Marine Megafauna Foundation has been studying these rays and documenting the challenges they face from human activities near the coast, such as boat strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, which can pose significant threats to juvenile mantas

Stanford Medicine study identifies immune switch critical to autoimmunity, cancer

Edgar Engleman, MD, professor of pathology
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Stanford School of Medicine

A single signaling pathway controls whether immune cells attack or befriend cells they encounter while patrolling our bodies, researchers at Stanford Medicine have found. Manipulating this pathway could allow researchers to toggle the immune response to treat many types of diseases, including cancers, autoimmune disorders and those that require organ transplants.

The research, which was conducted in mice, illuminates the mechanism of an important immune function that prevents inappropriate attacks on healthy tissue. Called peripheral immune tolerance, the key cellular players, known as regulatory T cells (or Tregs, pronounced “tee-regs”), were first described in the late 1990s in a series of discoveries that were recently recognized with the 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.