This review synthesizes current evidence on autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Patients with IBS often exhibit sympathovagal imbalance–reduced vagal tone with relative sympathetic hyperactivity–which correlates with symptom severity and shows subtype specificity. The ANS orchestrates bidirectional brain–gut communication via interactions with psychosocial factors, low-grade neuroinflammation, and the gut microbiota. Key mechanisms include vagal afferent signaling by microbial metabolites, sympathetic regulation of mucosal immunity, stress-induced disruption of autonomic homeostasis, and neuroplastic changes in intestinal and central pain pathways. Emerging evidence supports therapeutic targeting of autonomic circuits through vagus nerve stimulation, pharmacological modulation of serotonin and adrenergic receptors, and microbiome-based interventions. Current challenges include methodological limitations in assessing neural dynamics and insufficient integration of multi-system interactions. Future research should employ multi-omics approaches to elucidate pathway-specific mechanisms and develop precision medicine strategies for this heterogeneous disorder.
Gut bacteria regulate intestinal motor circuits by metabolizing sex hormones
Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 04 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02338-5
Androgens — hormones that are generally present at higher levels in males than females — regulate intestinal transit, but their cellular targets and mechanisms of action are unclear. We identify the neurons that mediate androgen-dependent gut motility and reveal that androgen reactivation by a bacterial enzyme in the gut lumen is necessary for this vital neuroendocrine axis.
HHS confirms Americans with high-risk Ebola exposures will have access to experimental therapy
Americans who have high-risk exposures to Ebola in the current outbreak in Central Africa will have access to an antibody treatment that has shown great promise in animal testing but hasn’t yet undergone a clinical trial to show whether it is efficacious in people, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Thursday.
The antibody treatment, known as MBP-134, is made by San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceuticals, with funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, an agency within HHS that helps develop medical countermeasures for rare and emerging diseases, and biological threats.
Open Letter: In Support of Mandatory Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening and Recordkeeping
An open letter, In Support of Mandatory Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening and Recordkeeping, published late on the evening of June 3, 2026, and signed by life sciences researchers, technologists, national security experts and former White House officials, is calling for mandatory screening of synthetic nucleic acids. This effort is significant because it highlights that screening is a rare point of consensus for a wide coalition of science and technology experts and is widely seen as both pro-AI and pro-safety.
From the CEOs of the major labs to AI skeptics and safety organizations to luminaries in the life sciences, public health, and national security, there is wide agreement that we need stronger screening guardrails. The letter calls on US lawmakers to codify mandatory nucleic acid synthesis screening, including recordkeeping, in order to combat the development of biological weapons at the scale of AI. The open letter reads as follows:
While the issue is not new, the pace of progress in artificial intelligence is. AI systems now outperform PhD-level virologists on questions about highly technical laboratory procedures in their own domains of expertise. The evidence about what this means for present-day biosecurity threats is genuinely mixed, but the trend is hard to dispute. AI systems are improving rapidly, and alongside incredible benefits to science and medicine, there is a real possibility that the knowledge barriers which have historically prevented bad actors from obtaining biological weapons will meaningfully erode.
Support for screening does not depend on any particular view of AI; the biosecurity case has been recognized by scientists and governments for decades. Screening is also one of the best understood and least disruptive biosecurity measures available. It asks providers of synthesized DNA and manufacturers of synthesis machines to check synthesis requests for sequences of concern and to verify customer legitimacy before shipping orders. Providers should also record synthesis orders and sequence data to support legitimate biosecurity investigations, so that any threat that might evade initial screening can be traced back to its source — including when individual sequences would not raise concern in isolation. Awareness of traceability itself deters misuse.
Many of the largest and most responsible providers in the industry already screen and record orders voluntarily because it is well understood that they have an important role to play in maintaining public trust in and mitigating potential misuse of this important technology.
For these reasons, the undersigned support mandatory nucleic acid synthesis screening, including recordkeeping, in the United States.
Given the pace at which the underlying technology is changing, we believe the need is urgent. Congress should act this session, and we applaud the legislative efforts currently underway. To ensure a consistent national standard rather than a patchwork of conflicting laws, states should also consider implementing requirements based on existing federal and industry guidelines.
This is a rare moment of agreement across stakeholders that are often at odds. We hope policymakers will meet it with decisive action.
Sincerely,
You can find the full list of signatories and the letter here. I am a media consultant working with the two organizations that are the primary organizers of the letter: the Institute for Progress (IFP) and the Foundation for American Innovation (FAI). The best email contact regarding the open letter is letter@screendna.org.
Carrie Hutcheson is senior director of the Glen Echo Group in Washington, DC.
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Teachers’ Well-Being and Health in Germany: Representative Cross-Sectional Study
<strong>Background:</strong> Teachers play a fundamental role in the educational system and carry significant responsibilities. However, various occupational demands may compromise their health and well-being. At present, empirical data on the specific correlates of health and well-being among teachers in Germany remain limited, for example, regarding the relevance of health literacy. <strong>Objective:</strong> The primary aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current health and well-being status among teachers. Specifically, the study aimed to quantify these factors according to the Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments (PERMA) model as well as their general and mental health literacy. Secondary aims were to explore how health and well-being are associated with general and mental health literacy, as well as other personal and professional factors. <strong>Methods:</strong> This cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in 2022 among teachers currently working in Germany. Participants were randomly sampled from all teachers in a general population panel (>100,000 panelists recruited exclusively offline). In total, 61.6% (1005/1631) of the invited teachers participated (mean 49.99, SD 9.74 years). The final sample was weighted by gender, age, school type, and federal state. Health and well-being (PERMA Profiler questionnaire), general health literacy (European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire, 16 items), mental health literacy (Mental Health Literacy Tool for the Workplace), sociodemographic (eg, gender and age), and professional information (school type, experience, and teaching load) were assessed. Bivariate (ANOVAs, <i>t</i> tests, and Pearson correlations) and multivariate (multiple regression) analyses were computed to analyze the associations between the health and well-being outcomes and the other factors. <strong>Results:</strong> The teachers reported intermediate to high well-being and health according to the PERMA model. In addition to significant bivariate associations, regression analysis for the well-being outcome (<i>F</i><sub>13, 977</sub>=10.66; <i>P</i><.001) revealed general (β=.23; <i>P</i><.001) and mental health literacy (β=.15; <i>P</i><.001) as significant positive predictors. In addition, teachers aged 40-49 years (β=–.12; <i>P</i>=.002) and 50-59 years (β=–.10; <i>P</i>=.03), as well as those with 10-19 years of experience (β=–.08; <i>P</i>=.04), reported significantly lower well-being than their younger/early-career peers. The regression model for the health outcome (<i>F</i><sub>13, 980</sub>=8.34; <i>P</i><.001) showed that general health literacy (β=.25; <i>P</i><.001), teaching at nonprimary schools (β=.10; <i>P</i>=.002), and a high teaching load (≥28 hours: β=.10; <i>P</i>=.02) were positively associated with the health outcome. Teaching experience of 10-19 years (β=–.09; <i>P</i>=.02) and older age (50-59 years: β=–.12; <i>P</i>=.02; ≥60 years: β=–.09; <i>P</i>=.046) predicted lower health scores. Other factors were not significant in the well-being and health regression models (all <i>P</i>>.05). <strong>Conclusions:</strong> This study highlights the potential of health literacy as an intervention target for improving teachers’ health and well-being. To build on these findings, longitudinal and interventional studies are needed. <strong>Trial Registration:</strong>
STAT+: Drug companies, patient groups urge FDA to pause commissioner’s voucher program
WASHINGTON — Leaders at the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday listened to criticisms and recommendations for how to move forward with a speedy drug review program put in place by former FDA commissioner Marty Makary.
The listening session, held on the FDA’s White Oak Campus, featured 17 speakers representing patient groups, drug companies, and academic organizations. Some had positive feedback, particularly those whose drugs have already been approved through the program. But most asked the agency to pause the program, and then bring it back through normal regulatory procedures that require public feedback.
Makary launched the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program about a year ago, offering one- to two-month FDA reviews to companies that could prove their drugs “align with national priorities.” The priorities, which included addressing health crises and delivering innovative cures, were vague. Critics worried the process was vulnerable to political interference.
What RevMed’s pancreatic cancer drug meant for one patient
Why did oncologists give a standing ovation to a data presentation on Revolution Medicines’ pancreatic cancer drug, daraxonrasib? Why did biotech stocks perform so badly this week? And are concrete beaches better than normal beaches?
We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast.
Stipple Bio and Lonza Agree to Focus on Advancing Oncology ADC Therapies
Lonza and Stipple Bio signed a multi-target licensing agreement to support the development of next-generation precision oncology ADC therapies.
Officials at Stipple Bio say the company is leveraging its Pointillist Platform to identify tumor-specific cell surface epitopes, which can enable the development of high therapeutic index medicines designed to avoid on-target/off-tumor toxicity. Under the agreement, Stipple Bio will gain target-specific access to Lonza’s ADC technology platform to design potential first-in-class and best-in-class ADC products, including STP-100.
This collaboration combines Stipple Bio’s epitope discovery capabilities with Lonza’s GlycoConnect antibody conjugation technology, HydraSpace® polar spacer technology, and a toxSYN® linker payload. In addition, Lonza is eligible to receive upfront, clinical, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, plus royalties on net sales of resulting products. Lonza is responsible for manufacturing components that are related to its proprietary technologies, and Stipple Bio is responsible for the R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization of the ADCs.
“We value the opportunity to work with Stipple Bio to support their innovative epitope discovery approach with our advanced ADC technologies,” said Jan Vertommen, head of commercial development, advanced synthesis, Lonza. “By combining their science with Lonza’s established bioconjugation platforms and efficient, scalable manufacturing capabilities, we aim to help Stipple Bio progress more precise and effective ADC programs with confidence and speed.”
“ADCs have become a core pillar of cancer treatment, and as the field advances, increasingly sophisticated design is translating into stronger efficacy and reduced off-target effects,” added Jeff Landau, CEO, Stipple Bio. “We are pleased to be partnering with Lonza and believe that their clinically validated platform will be instrumental in enabling us to translate that design sophistication into effective and better tolerated therapies.”
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STAT+: Otsuka kidney drug slowed loss of function, but less than expected, in late-stage trial
Otsuka’s Voyxact slowed the loss of kidney function after one year in patients with a chronic autoimmune kidney disease, but the benefit was less than expected and left room for competing treatments to perform better.
In a Phase 3 study, patients with IgA nephropathy, or IgAN, who received injections of Voyxact saw their kidneys lose function at an annualized rate of 3 points over one year compared to an annualized function loss of 7.6 points over one year for patients receiving a placebo, the Japanese drugmaker reported Thursday.
Kidney function was assessed with a lab test, called eGFR, that measures how well kidneys filter waste from the blood.
Experimental Adjuvant Could Strengthen Mucosal Immunity with Injectable Polio Vaccines
The injectable form of the polio vaccine has proven effective at preventing illness but it does not block the transmission of the virus as well as the oral version of the vaccine. That is because the virus is usually transmitted through contaminated food or water and is first exposed to the GI tract, where the oral vaccine induces a mucosal immune response. To date, several countries no longer use the oral vaccine because there is a small risk of infection. It is also possible for people who receive the injected polio vaccine to spread the virus even though they are asymptomatic.
Now according to data from an Massachusetts Institute of Technology-led study, it may be possible to modify the injectable vaccine so that it can also promote a mucosal immune response. This way, the vaccine could support polio eradication efforts without the risks of the oral polio vaccine. Details are published in a new Science Advances paper titled “Am80-Lipid nanoparticles serve as an enteric mucosal adjuvant 3 following parenteral immunization with inactivated polio vaccine.”
In comments that shed some light on the thinking behind the work, Ana Jaklenec, PhD, a principal investigator in MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, stated that while “people who are vaccinated with the injectable vaccine are not getting sick” they may be helping spread the highly contagious virus. “Mucosal immunity could help lower that shedding and ideally eliminate it,” she said.
Her team’s version of the vaccine comprises an injectable, inactivated polio vaccine delivered with a nanoparticle-based adjuvant that helps steer immune cells to the mucosal lining of the intestine. Digging into the details, Jaklenec and her team worked with a group at Harvard Medical School who have shown previously that using a derivative of vitamin A as a vaccine adjuvant can help stimulate immune cells to go into the GI tract.
Though the adjuvant, known as Am80, generates a strong response, one challenge is that it needs to be injected for several days in a row, which is not feasible for most vaccine campaigns. To eliminate the need for repeated vaccinations, the scientists used a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) as a delivery vehicle that releases the adjuvant slowly over several days.
Armed with the updated vaccine, the scientists moved on to testing it in rats. For their tests, the scientists injected the standard inactivated polio vaccine along with a separate injection of Am80 encapsulated in LNPs. They also delivered boosters to the rats at four and eight weeks.
Following injection, LNPs accumulate in the lymph nodes where they interact with B and T cells that are also exposed to the polio vaccine. The interaction stimulates the cells to produce two surface proteins that direct them to the GI tract. Additionally, the B cells produce IgA antibodies, which protect body surfaces from infection by coating the mucosal membranes. Lastly the rats produce IgG antibodies in the bloodstream, which are similar to the antibodies produced in response to the standard injected polio vaccine.
Overall, in the rats, they found that administering the vaccine and adjuvant produced a two-fold increase in the type of antibodies needed for mucosal immunity compared to the inactivated vaccine alone. Essentially, “by adding Am80 to lipid nanoparticle as an adjuvant, we are combining the safety of IPV with an adjuvant that can produce the mucosal immunity that normally you can only get with OPV,” said Behnaz Eshaghi, PhD, a postdoctoral student at MIT and lead author of the paper.
For their next steps, the scientists plan to test the improved vaccine in other large animal models where they will inject the vaccine and adjuvant mixed together. More broadly, Am80 and similar adjuvants could help scientists design improved vaccines for other pathogens that infect the GI tract or for diseases that infect the lungs or reproductive tract.
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