Newman et al. review the evolving landscape of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in breast cancer, including approved agents, resistance mechanisms, and combinatorial strategies. The authors highlight novel agents, antigen targets, and next-generation platforms, underscoring the need for predictive biomarkers and optimized sequencing strategies to improve patient selection and efficacy.
Microbiome biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder: Toward prediction, diagnosis, and prognosis
Wong et al. review gut microbiota biomarkers for ASD, detailing gut-brain axis mechanisms, biomarker evolution from taxonomic profiling to multi-omics and multi-kingdom integration, key translational challenges, and actionable research guidelines to boost clinical utility for ASD diagnosis and prognosis.
BDNF insufficiency exacerbates ALS progression
Xu and He et al. provide in vivo evidence that BDNF insufficiency exacerbates the symptoms and pathologies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and mouse models, leading to accelerated demise. They develop an agonistic antibody that boosts BDNF signaling and demonstrates therapeutic benefits in multiple models of ALS mice.
A human iPSC-derived sensory neuron platform for high-throughput discovery of neuroprotectants against chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
Petrova et al. develop a high-throughput human iPSC-derived sensory neuron platform for drug discovery in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. They uncover that inhibition of three members of the STE20 kinase family (MAP4K4/MINK1/TNIK) is neuroprotective against paclitaxel-induced axon damage, with validation in primary human and mouse models.
Bridging the gap in TB case detection
Nature Medicine, Published online: 19 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41591-026-00026-2
The portable, low-resource MiniDock MTB test, evaluated across multiple countries, shows promise for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis using sputum and tongue swabs.
STAT+: Marc Tessier-Lavigne addresses new book’s allegations about his conduct in Stanford misconduct case
SAN FRANCISCO — Former Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne responded publicly for the first time Tuesday to allegations in a new book that he was forced to resign from the university not only because of flaws in his oversight of scientists but over how he handled the controversy.
At the STAT Breakthrough Summit West, STAT reporter Matthew Herper read aloud three paragraphs from Theo Baker’s book, “How to Rule the World.’’ Tessier-Lavigne sat with hands clasped in his lap as he listened to Baker’s description of the board meeting that led to his ouster.
According to Baker, the board concluded “that Tessier-Lavigne’s admit-nothing, deny-everything approach ‘did not reflect well on him and, by extension, the institution.’” The Stanford investigation, according to unnamed sources in the book, omitted yet another incident that contributed to the university turning on Tessier-Lavigne — a younger, female colleague challenging the conclusions of his work, and him dismissing her. By the end of the meeting, “there was no pro-MTL camp” and the board voted unanimously to replace him, Baker wrote.
Oncogenic Signaling Shaped by a Golgi Trafficking Protein Pair
A new study in Science Signaling identifies a previously overlooked control point in receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, one that operates not at the plasma membrane, but at the Golgi. The research, published as “Oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase signaling is driven by the Golgi protein GOLPH3 and its interaction with MYO18A,” reveals that the Golgi‑localized proteins GOLPH3 and MYO18A act together to route RTKs to the cell surface, thereby setting the strength of growth‑factor signaling across multiple pathways.
The work was led by Kyle Starost and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the University of California, San Diego. Their findings help explain why GOLPH3 is frequently amplified in human cancers and why its overexpression correlates with poor prognosis across tumor types.
RTKs such as EGFR, insulin receptor, and PDGFR are central drivers of proliferation and survival in many cancers. Although RTK inhibitors are widely used clinically, resistance often emerges, underscoring the need for alternative strategies that modulate signaling upstream of the receptor. The new study identifies one such upstream node: the delivery of RTKs from the Golgi to the plasma membrane.
Using an unbiased signaling analysis, the team found that siRNA knockdown of GOLPH3 or MYO18A impaired phosphorylation of EGFR at Tyr1068 and Tyr1086, as well as downstream AKT and ERK signaling. These defects persisted even when PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling was pharmacologically blocked, demonstrating that GOLPH3 acts directly at the receptor level rather than through mTOR modulation.
To pinpoint the mechanism, the researchers turned to trafficking assays. Imaging of endogenous EGFR showed that loss of GOLPH3 or MYO18A caused the receptor to accumulate in intracellular puncta rather than at the plasma membrane. A quantitative PDGFR‑GFP surface‑delivery assay confirmed that both proteins are required for Golgi‑to‑surface transport. Treatment with brefeldin A or golgicide A, which disrupt Golgi structure, produced similar reductions in surface receptor levels, reinforcing the conclusion that the GOLPH3–MYO18A complex is essential for RTK delivery.
Overexpression experiments completed the mechanistic picture. Increasing GOLPH3 or MYO18A levels enhanced EGF‑stimulated phosphorylation of EGFR and AKT, while a GOLPH3 mutant unable to bind PI4P failed to do so. These results position the GOLPH3–MYO18A complex as a central determinant of RTK availability at the cell surface.
The authors wrote, “The GOLPH3-MYO18A complex at the Golgi apparatus was required and rate-limiting for RTK signaling across the cell types and receptors assessed.” The findings suggest that targeting Golgi‑based trafficking machinery could offer a new therapeutic angle for tumors that rely on hyperactive RTK signaling or have developed resistance to RTK inhibitors.
The post Oncogenic Signaling Shaped by a Golgi Trafficking Protein Pair appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
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Trump’s cuts to foreign aid are undermining the Ebola response, insiders say
WASHINGTON — For years, the United States has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into programs to prevent and control infectious diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
But in the months leading up to a fast-moving Ebola outbreak, the Trump administration slashed aid to the country, leading to a cascade of consequences that probably hampered the detection of the outbreak and the response to it, six people involved in or familiar with the efforts in the region said.
Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Experiences of Individualized Digital Reminiscence Using the InspireD App in Care Home Placements: Qualitative Focus Group Study
<strong>Background:</strong> Care home placements offer important opportunities for student nurses to develop relational and person-centered approaches to dementia care. Digital reminiscence platforms are increasingly used to support the well-being of people living with dementia; however, little is known about how such platforms may shape student learning within practice settings. There is limited qualitative evidence examining how digital reminiscence is experienced by students and how it influences their understanding of personhood, relationships, and care practices. <strong>Objective:</strong> The aim of the study is to explore undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of engaging with individualized digital reminiscence using the InspireD reminiscence app during care home placements. <strong>Methods:</strong> Following a pilot implementation of the intervention, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted, in which 13 undergraduate nursing students participated in 4 focus groups. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. <strong>Results:</strong> Three themes were developed to capture how participants made sense of their learning and practice experiences when engaging with individual reminiscence using the InspireD reminiscence app. The first theme, “deepening empathy and understanding through reminiscence,” describes how participants developed a greater appreciation of residents’ life histories and personhood. The second theme, “learning through connection,” reflects how relationships with residents and families shaped communication, confidence, and emotional engagement. The third theme, “growing as person-centered practitioners within the realities of care home practice,” highlights how participants reflected on translating this learning into practice while navigating organizational constraints and everyday care demands. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Findings suggest that the InspireD reminiscence app can support the development of person-centered learning within care home placements, although successful implementation is contingent on supportive organizational cultures. These findings contribute to wider discussions in health professions education by illustrating how digital platforms can mediate experiential learning in practice settings and support the preparation of future health professionals to use digital tools in relational and values-based ways. Future research should examine longer-term learning outcomes and implementation across diverse placement contexts.
