Behind the Paper
The real stories behind the latest research papers, from conception to publication, the highs and the lows
Filtered by: Biomedical Research
When cancer cells get squeezed: discovering how physical forces shape metastasis
Cancer’s deadliest trait is its spread. Millions of tumor cells enter the bloodstream daily, yet only a few survive and seed metastases. Why these rare cells succeed, while most perish, remains one of cancer research’s greatest mysteries.
TCF1 as a Key Regulator of the Hybrid EMT State in Breast Cancer: Balancing Self-Renewal and Differentiation
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) harbor a unique hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) subpopulation that conveys stemness and metastasis. Our work unravels a unique role for TCF1/Wnt/ERK/CDK4/6 signaling in driving the hybrid EMT state and its potential for therapeutic intervention in TNBC.
It is time for a global ban of declaw in cats
I graduated as a veterinarian in Lyon, France, in 1992 — the very year the European Union banned declawing cats. When I later arrived in North America to specialize in anesthesia and pain management, I was shocked to see how common this procedure still was. I had never even learned how to do it.
Alcohol Blocks Gut Immune Gatekeepers, Compromising Defense Against Bacteria in ALD
mAChR4 -regulated goblet cell–associated antigen passages (GAPs) train gut immune cells, acting as sentinels, maintaining antimicrobial defense in the gut-liver axis, and positioning mAChR4 agonism and GAP formation as a therapeutic checkpoint for alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD).
RNA structure beyond canonical base pairs guided by evolution
This is a novel method that integrates the prediction of RNA secondary structure with that of RNA 3D motifs. RNA 3D motifs steer the assembly of canonical helices into a 3D structure. Fully integrated prediction of 3D motifs together with base pairs is a vital step toward inferring RNA 3D structure.
Bringing Exposure-Related Malnutrition (ERM) to the Scientific Stage
Patients can appear well-nourished yet show fatigue, slow recovery, and early decline. Our work defines Exposure-Related Malnutrition (ERM) — a hidden, reversible state where chronic stress and exposures divert nutrients from repair to survival, accelerating biological aging.
