Frontiers | Science news

Health

Published on 18 Jul 2025

Gene essential for vitamin D absorption could help unlock treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases

Scientists have identified the human gene SDR42E1 as essential for the absorption of vitamin D from the intestine, its subsequent metabolic processing, as well as the production of lipids and steroids. Without the functional protein, the survival of cells dropped by 53%. This discovery has at least two potential applications in precision medicine. First, the experiments showed that the gene can be blocked to selectively kill cancer cells. Second, boosting SDR42E1’s expression could help treat many other diseases, for example, autoimmune and metabolic disorders, against which vitamin D and its related forms are thought to protect.

Health

Published on 15 Jul 2025

Mental health from supermarket shelves? This is the evidence we have about over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression

Guest editorial by Rachael Frost, a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and author of a new Frontiers in Pharmacology article.

Health

Published on 11 Jul 2025

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Researchers here developed a monoclonal antibody specific against mugwort pollen – an important allergen causing hay fever – in mice, which is highly effective in blocking symptoms of IgE immunoglobin-mediated allergy against this pollen. The monoclonal antibodies can be delivered inside the nose, rather than intravenously, acting almost like a ‘molecular shield’. The study is a proof-of-principle, which can be extended to other pollen species.

Health

Published on 10 Jul 2025

Chemicals from turmeric and rhubarb could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria lurking in wastewater

Scientists monitoring wastewater find a range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria — but natural compounds show promise for fighting them off.

Vantage point of the Murin-an garden in Kyoto the researchers used for the experiment in summer. Credit: Ueya Kato Zoen.

Neuroscience

Published on 15 May 2025

Seeing well-designed gardens could relax us almost immediately because we look at them differently

In well-designed gardens, our gaze shifts quicker and more often. Researchers believe this could be key to understanding the relaxing effects gardens can have on viewers.

Image: Neurons, glia, and vasculature used in the researcher's simulations. Shichkova et al.

Neuroscience

Published on 25 Mar 2025

Most in-depth simulation of brain metabolism yet reveals new targets for future dementia treatments

A new model of brain metabolism – the most complex ever generated –shows how altering key chemicals could restore aged cells to their youthful activity and resilience.

An older man presses his fingers to the side of his head, next to his ear.

Neuroscience

Published on 31 Jan 2025

Ear muscle we thought humans didn’t use — except for wiggling our ears — actually activates when people listen hard

The auricular muscles, which helped our distant ancestors move their ears to improve hearing quality, activated when people were trying to listen to competing sounds.

A dominant and a subordinate male cichlid (Astatotilapia burtoni). Image courtesy of Dr Alex Jordan, Behavioural Evolution Lab, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour.

Neuroscience

Published on 26 Nov 2024

Social fish with low status are so stressed out it impacts their brains

Scientists show that low-status male cichlid fish have higher levels of oxidative stress in their brain, which is linked to poorer mental and neurological health in humans.

Environment

Published on 24 Jun 2025

Wildlife forensic scientists develop new tool to detect elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

Stable isotope analysis can tell apart ivory from mammoths dug up from the permafrost and modern elephants, closing a loophole for selling elephant ivory

Environment

Published on 17 Jun 2025

Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby

Scientists studying the impact of solar power on local neighborhoods find that most people living close to large-scale solar plants wouldn’t mind if a new plant was built nearby.

Environment

Published on 09 Jun 2025

Protected Antarctic oceanic life threatened by ships anchoring, first underwater videos show

First video footage shows impacts of anchor and chain damage caused by cruise, research, fishing, and private vessels on Antarctic sea floor and animals, highlighting critically understudied conservation issue.

Environment

Published on 05 Jun 2025

Survival of the greenest: why world’s oldest organizations are surpassing young upstarts in environmental sustainability

In a new article published in Frontiers in Organizational Psychology, Daria Haner, Dr Yilei Wang, Dr Deniz Ones, Dr Stephan Dilchert, Dr Yagizhan Yazar, and Karn Kaura unveil surprising new findings: the world’s most sustainable businesses are the world’s most long-lived businesses, too. In this guest editorial, they explain their results, discuss the potential underlying reasons for their findings, and underline the importance of sustainability to the future of business.

A group of students sit together at a table.

Psychology

Published on 07 May 2025

Humans prefer to put more effort into empathizing with groups than with individuals

Study participants asked to choose whether to empathize with or describe people preferred to empathize with groups, despite finding it difficult and distressing.

Psychology

Published on 28 Mar 2025

Those constantly distracted by their phone will just find other ways to procrastinate if it isn’t nearby

A researcher put physical distance between people and their phones and found that our devices may not be the cause of our distraction – it’s what we do with them.

Three middle-aged friends play a casual game of basketball; one is in a wheelchair

Psychology

Published on 10 Feb 2025

Scientists find that a playful approach to life activates ‘lemonading’, which helps people cope with adversity

Highly playful people are realistic about their circumstances, scientists say, but they are more resilient in the present and more optimistic about the future.

Psychology

Published on 11 Oct 2024

Different types of teenage friendships critical to wellbeing as we age, scientists find

Scientists find that peer acceptance in young teenagers, and close friendships in older teenagers, predict low social anxiety and high life satisfaction in young adults.

Space sciences and astronomy

Published on 25 Feb 2025

Laser-powered device tested on Earth could help us detect microbial fossils on Mars

Scientists successfully identify microbe fossils in terrestrial rocks like those found on Mars, opening up the possibility of searching for fossils on the Red Planet.

Space sciences and astronomy

Published on 06 Feb 2025

Efforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that gets microbes moving

Scientists explored microbial movement as a possible biosignature to detect life on Mars and beyond, cheaper and faster than ever before.

Space sciences and astronomy

Published on 03 Feb 2025

Can ocean-floor mining oversights help us regulate space debris and mining on the Moon?

Space belongs to no-one, yet many nations and private entities now plan to lay their claim on its resources. In a recent Frontiers in Space Technologies article, Nishith Mishra, Martina Elia Vitoloni and Dr Joseph Pelton shared their thoughts about how plans to exploit the ocean floors could impact the way resources from space are used and managed.

Image: flickr/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, licensed under CC BY 2.0

Space sciences and astronomy

Published on 20 Nov 2024

Astronauts found to process some tasks slower in space, but no signs of permanent cognitive decline

Researchers found that astronauts’ processing speed, working memory, and attention slowed down, but a few months in space did not result in lasting cognitive impairment

Frontiers | Science News

Science news

Gene essential for vitamin D absorption could help unlock treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases

Specialty of the house: Neanderthals at two nearby caves butchered the same prey in different ways, suggesting local food traditions

Mental health from supermarket shelves? This is the evidence we have about over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Latest posts

Gene essential for vitamin D absorption could help unlock treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases

Specialty of the house: Neanderthals at two nearby caves butchered the same prey in different ways, suggesting local food traditions

Mental health from supermarket shelves? This is the evidence we have about over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Chemicals from turmeric and rhubarb could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria lurking in wastewater

Matching your workouts to your personality could make exercising more enjoyable and give you better results

Categories

Health

Gene essential for vitamin D absorption could help unlock treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases

Mental health from supermarket shelves? This is the evidence we have about over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Chemicals from turmeric and rhubarb could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria lurking in wastewater

Neuroscience

Seeing well-designed gardens could relax us almost immediately because we look at them differently

Most in-depth simulation of brain metabolism yet reveals new targets for future dementia treatments

Ear muscle we thought humans didn’t use — except for wiggling our ears — actually activates when people listen hard

Social fish with low status are so stressed out it impacts their brains

Environment

Wildlife forensic scientists develop new tool to detect elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby

Protected Antarctic oceanic life threatened by ships anchoring, first underwater videos show

Survival of the greenest: why world’s oldest organizations are surpassing young upstarts in environmental sustainability

Psychology

Humans prefer to put more effort into empathizing with groups than with individuals

Those constantly distracted by their phone will just find other ways to procrastinate if it isn’t nearby

Scientists find that a playful approach to life activates ‘lemonading’, which helps people cope with adversity

Different types of teenage friendships critical to wellbeing as we age, scientists find

Space sciences and astronomy

Laser-powered device tested on Earth could help us detect microbial fossils on Mars

Efforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that gets microbes moving

Can ocean-floor mining oversights help us regulate space debris and mining on the Moon?

Astronauts found to process some tasks slower in space, but no signs of permanent cognitive decline

Frontiers | Science News

Gene essential for vitamin D absorption could help unlock treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases

Specialty of the house: Neanderthals at two nearby caves butchered the same prey in different ways, suggesting local food traditions

Mental health from supermarket shelves? This is the evidence we have about over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Latest posts

Gene essential for vitamin D absorption could help unlock treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases

Specialty of the house: Neanderthals at two nearby caves butchered the same prey in different ways, suggesting local food traditions

Mental health from supermarket shelves? This is the evidence we have about over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Chemicals from turmeric and rhubarb could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria lurking in wastewater

Matching your workouts to your personality could make exercising more enjoyable and give you better results

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Health

Gene essential for vitamin D absorption could help unlock treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases

Mental health from supermarket shelves? This is the evidence we have about over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Chemicals from turmeric and rhubarb could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria lurking in wastewater

Neuroscience

Seeing well-designed gardens could relax us almost immediately because we look at them differently

Most in-depth simulation of brain metabolism yet reveals new targets for future dementia treatments

Ear muscle we thought humans didn’t use — except for wiggling our ears — actually activates when people listen hard

Social fish with low status are so stressed out it impacts their brains

Environment

Wildlife forensic scientists develop new tool to detect elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby

Protected Antarctic oceanic life threatened by ships anchoring, first underwater videos show

Survival of the greenest: why world’s oldest organizations are surpassing young upstarts in environmental sustainability

Psychology

Humans prefer to put more effort into empathizing with groups than with individuals

Those constantly distracted by their phone will just find other ways to procrastinate if it isn’t nearby

Scientists find that a playful approach to life activates ‘lemonading’, which helps people cope with adversity

Different types of teenage friendships critical to wellbeing as we age, scientists find

Space sciences and astronomy

Laser-powered device tested on Earth could help us detect microbial fossils on Mars

Efforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that gets microbes moving

Can ocean-floor mining oversights help us regulate space debris and mining on the Moon?

Astronauts found to process some tasks slower in space, but no signs of permanent cognitive decline