Tag: Academic research

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RNA Toxicity Is a Driver of Heart Disease in Muscular Dystrophy

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have identified a mechanism driving progressive heart disease in people with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) that operates independently of genetic repeat expansion, providing new evidence of how cardiac damage develops and when it may be reversible. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, shows that sustained expression of expanded CUG (CUGexp) repeat RNA drives cumulative cardiac injury through structural remodeling, including myocardial fibrosis, chamber dilation, and impaired contractility, while also disrupting electrical conduction pathways that regulate heart rhythm.

“Cardiac manifestations affect most DM1 patients,” said corresponding author Thomas A. Cooper, MD. “Cardiac problems are primarily electric conduction abnormalities, seen in up to 75% of adult DM1 cases, which can result in life-threatening arrhythmias accounting for 25% mortality and the second leading cause of death in DM1.”

DM1 is an autosomal dominant disorder and the most common cause of adult-onset muscular dystrophy. It is caused by an expanded CTG repeat in the DMPK gene, with affected individuals carrying between 50 and more than 4,000 repeats, compared to five to 37 in unaffected individuals. The expanded CTG repeat causes mutant transcripts that form expanded CUG (CUGexp) RNA foci and sequester muscleblind-like (MBNL) RNA-binding proteins. The result is a loss of function of MBNL.

DM1 affects multiple systems, including skeletal muscle, the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal tract, and the heart. Cardiac impairment is common in people with the disease and is often fatal. Electrical conduction abnormalities, including prolonged PR, QRS and QTc intervals, atrioventricular block and bundle branch block, occur in up to 75% of adults with DM1. Patients may also develop atrial fibrillation, tachycardia and, less commonly, ventricular arrhythmias. Structural changes such as left ventricular dysfunction, hypertrophy, dilation and fibrosis contribute to morbidity and mortality. These conditions typically worsen with age and are more severe in males.

The Baylor team used a transgenic mouse model engineered to express toxic CUG repeat RNA in the heart. Unlike human disease, the number of CTG repeats in this model remained stable over time, allowing researchers to isolate the effects of prolonged RNA toxicity without the confounding factor of repeat expansion. The researchers measured the cardiac function of the mice over a period of 14 months.

According to the researchers, the data showed that “sustained CUGexp RNA expression caused progressive cardiac enlargement, contractile dysfunction, conduction delay, myocardial fibrosis, and reduced survival, while MBNL-dependent splicing defects remained static, consistent with the stable repeat length.” These findings indicate that cardiac deterioration can occur even without increasing loss of MBNL function. This finding runs contrary to current thinking, which centers on the role of repeat expansion as the primary driver of disease progression.

In this research, the model mice developed enlarged hearts and electrical abnormalities early on. Over time, these changes progressed to cause weakened cardiac function, fibrosis and dilation of heart chambers.

The study also sought to find whether the cardiac damage could be reversed by halting expression of the toxic RNA. When RNA expression was stopped after a short duration, heart size, electrical function and structure largely returned to normal.

Yet when exposure to the toxic RNA was prolonged, the mice did not exhibit complete recovery. While the molecular defects such as abnormal RNA splicing were fully corrected, structural damage, including fibrosis and conduction abnormalities, persisted. This shows that early intervention could be one method to prevent irreversible changes such as fibrosis, which disrupts electrical signaling and increases the risk of arrhythmias.

Prior research had linked increasing CTG repeat length with DM1 severity and earlier onset, but the extent to which other mechanisms contribute to progression remained unclear. By isolating RNA toxicity, the Baylor researchers have provided evidence that chronic cellular stress, structural remodeling and potentially other RNA-mediated effects play roles in disease pathology independent of repeat expansion.

Future research will look to identify any additional mechanisms that may contribute to disease progression, and will include studying the long-term effects of RNA toxicity, changes in RNA-binding proteins, and potential links to premature cellular aging.

The post RNA Toxicity Is a Driver of Heart Disease in Muscular Dystrophy appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

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‘Cervix-on-a-Chip’ Brings STI Research Closer to Real Human Biology

Studying sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has long been constrained by a fundamental problem: the available models fail to fully capture the complexity of the human body. Traditional cell cultures oversimplify biology, while animal models often do not accurately reflect human infection dynamics.

Now, scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and collaborators have developed the first immune-capable “cervix-on-a-chip,” a microengineered system that recreates the human cervical environment with unprecedented realism. The work, published in Science Advances, could significantly accelerate the development of new treatments and prevention strategies for STIs.

A long-standing gap in STI research

STIs remain a major global health burden. According to the World Health Organization, nearly one million new infections occur every day worldwide, with chlamydia alone accounting for roughly 129 million cases annually. In the United States, chlamydia and gonorrhea together generate an estimated $1 billion in direct medical costs each year.

Beyond their prevalence, these infections can lead to serious complications, particularly in women, including infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Despite this, researchers have struggled to study how infections develop and progress in the human cervix, a key site of infection, under realistic conditions.

“This new model will revolutionize how scientists study STIs,” said Jacques Ravel, PhD, co-lead author of the study. “By integrating engineering, microbiology, immunology, and microbiome science, we were able to build a model that more closely reflects human biology and the complexity of the cervical microenvironment.”

Recreating the cervix in the lab

The newly developed system belongs to a class of technologies known as organ-on-a-chip models, or microphysiological systems. These platforms are designed to mimic the structure and function of human tissues using living cells and controlled physical environments.

In this case, the researchers constructed a miniature model of the cervix using human cervical epithelial cells layered on a porous membrane, with supportive tissue cells beneath. Fluids flow across both sides of the membrane, replicating the dynamic conditions found in the body.

The model also incorporates immune cells and microbial communities, allowing scientists to study how these components interact during infection.

“A key goal was to develop a complex model system that is both practical and accessible,” said Jason Gleghorn, PhD, who led the model development. “The need for this model was particularly critical for studying the vaginal microbiome, which we know plays an important role in susceptibility to STIs.”

Capturing the role of the microbiome

One of the defining features of the cervix-on-a-chip is its ability to include different types of vaginal microbiomes, something that has been difficult to replicate in previous models.

The researchers tested the system using two of the most common STIs: chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) and gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae). They found that the outcome of infection depended strongly on the type of microbiome present.

In models dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus, a bacterial species commonly associated with vaginal health, infections were significantly limited. In contrast, when less protective microbiomes were introduced, infections became more severe.

“One of the most exciting findings was that just like in women, protective microbiomes dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus limited infection in the model,” Ravel said. “In contrast, when we introduced ‘nonoptimal’ microbiomes, infections worsened.”

These results reinforce growing evidence that the vaginal microbiome plays a central role in determining susceptibility to STIs.

Toward better treatments—and prevention

Beyond improving understanding, the new model provides a practical platform for testing potential therapies.

Because it closely mimics human biology, the cervix-on-a-chip can be used to evaluate new treatments under realistic conditions. This includes not only traditional antimicrobial drugs but also emerging approaches such as probiotics and live biotherapeutics designed to restore protective microbiomes.

“This model provides a powerful new tool to develop faster, more effective, and personalized treatments,” Ravel said. “For the first time, we can simulate what happens in the human body rather than relying solely on petri dish systems or inadequate animal models.”

A platform for broader applications

The implications of the technology extend beyond the infections tested in the study. The cervix-on-a-chip could be adapted to study a wide range of pathogens, as well as broader questions about reproductive health, inflammation, and host–microbe interactions.

The researchers emphasized accessibility in the model’s design, aiming to make it usable by scientists outside of specialized bioengineering labs. This could accelerate adoption and expand its impact across the field.

A step toward more human-relevant science

The development of immune-capable organ-on-a-chip systems represents a broader shift in biomedical research toward more human-relevant experimental models. By integrating multiple components of human biology—cells, tissues, immune responses, and microbiomes—these systems offer a more accurate view of disease processes.

In the context of STIs, where subtle interactions between host and microbes can determine outcomes, such realism is particularly valuable.

As researchers continue to refine these platforms, they may help bridge the gap between laboratory studies and real-world biology—ultimately enabling earlier, more precise, and more effective interventions.

For now, the cervix-on-a-chip marks a significant step forward, providing scientists with a tool that captures the complexity of the human cervix in a way that was previously out of reach.

The post ‘Cervix-on-a-Chip’ Brings STI Research Closer to Real Human Biology appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

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Rates of Treatment-Related Blood Cancers Are Increasing in Japan

Research led by Osaka International Cancer Institute in Japan shows that rates of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia, linked to treatment for an earlier cancer, are going up as the overall number of cancer survivors increases.

As reported in the journal Cancer, the researchers showed the rates of treatment-related acute myeloid leukemia (AML) almost tripled between 1990 and 2020. The share of overall AML cases taken up by these patients has also increased from 4.4% to 8.2% over a similar time period.

With increasing numbers of cancer survivors in the U.S. and elsewhere, understanding the adverse effects of cancer treatment is becoming increasingly more important. Therapy‑related AML is a rare but serious complication of cytotoxic chemotherapy, and different chemotherapy drugs carry different levels of leukemia risk. Radiotherapy can also lead to this condition, but the risk is considered lower than that of chemotherapy.

“Several population‐based studies have analyzed the long‐term trend of therapy-related AML incidence, and the results are controversial,” write lead author Kenji Kishimoto, MD, PhD, a researcher at the Osaka International Cancer Institute, and colleagues.

“A national population‐based study did not demonstrate an increase in the incidence of therapy-related AML in Denmark between 2000 and 2013. In contrast, a significant increase in therapy-related AML incidence between 1997 and 2015 was identified in a Swedish nationwide study.”

As few such studies have been carried out in Asia, Kishimoto and colleagues analyzed how such rates have changed over time and whether the initial cancers leading to therapy-related AML have changed in Japan.

The researchers identified 9841 patients with AML in the Osaka Cancer Registry, 636 (6.5%) of whom had therapy-related AML. These patients were older when diagnosed than other AML patients at a median of 69 versus 66 years. There were also slightly more women with therapy-related AML than standard AML at 45% versus 40%. The time lag between first cancer and resultant AML was between two and 11 years (median five years).

In 1990, the incidence of therapy related AML was 0.13 per 100,000 people, but this had increased to 0.36 per 100,000 people by 2020. The share of all AML cases made up by therapy-related cases almost doubled from 4.4% in 1990 to 8.2% after 2010.

The most common earlier cancers before therapy-related AML were blood cancers (23%), breast cancer (15%), colorectal cancer (12%), and gastric cancer (9%). The mix shifted over time and gastric cancer became less common as the first cancer, while breast, head‑and‑neck, and lung cancers became more prominent.

“The study provides an important step towards better understanding how the nature of therapy-related AML is changing with the increasing number of cancer survivors,” said Kishimoto in a press release.

“Findings from this study lay the foundation for further studies to elucidate the mechanism of the change in therapy-related AML epidemiology,” add the authors.

The post Rates of Treatment-Related Blood Cancers Are Increasing in Japan appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

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Validity of Smartphone-Based Measurement for Assessing Lower Limb Power for Sarcopenia and Frailty Discrimination: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Increasing life expectancy has increased focus on the health-related consequences of aging, such as sarcopenia and frailty. Given the prevalence of these conditions among older individuals and the frequent resulting long-term care needs, early detection and intervention are crucial. Objective: This study aimed to validate a novel smartphone-based system measuring acceleration during the sit-to-stand movement to detect sarcopenia and frailty. Methods: Participants were 587 individuals from the Otassha study cohort who underwent health assessments in 2023, of whom 569 (96.9%) completed 2 supervised sit-to-stand trials while holding a smartphone on the lower abdomen. Sarcopenia and frailty were diagnosed using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria and the revised Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study criteria, respectively. Peak force, rising time (T1), and stabilization time (T2) were extracted from acceleration signals, and reproducibility was examined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC(2,1)). Predictive models were developed using elastic net penalized logistic regression, and model performance was evaluated using 500 bootstrap resamples. Benchmark models using age and sex, walking speed, and grip strength were also constructed for comparison. Results: Sarcopenia and frailty were identified in 16.7% (95/569) and 9% (51/569) of the participants, respectively. Peak force demonstrated excellent reliability (ICC=0.863), whereas T1 and T2 showed lower reproducibility (ICC<0.30). For sarcopenia, the smartphone model achieved a bootstrap area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.800 and an optimism-corrected AUC of 0.781 (95% CI 0.733‐0.826), outperforming walking speed (0.663) and age and sex (0.656) and ranking second only to grip strength (0.845). For frailty, the smartphone model showed moderate discrimination, with an optimism-corrected AUC of 0.659 (95% CI 0.587‐0.736), exceeding age and sex (0.604), whereas walking speed remained the strongest predictor (0.751). Conclusions: Smartphone-derived sit-to-stand acceleration provides a practical and scalable approach for screening for sarcopenia and frailty in community-dwelling older adults. While traditional indicators such as grip strength and walking speed remain the most accurate predictors, smartphone-based measurements offer meaningful complementary information and may support large-scale functional screening and early detection initiatives in superaged societies.
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Development and Evaluation of a German Suicide Prevention Website for Men: Exploratory Study

Background: Men face a substantially higher risk of suicide. Effective suicide prevention strategies for men should specifically target gender-related risk factors, such as their lower likelihood of seeking professional help. Objective: This study investigates the use and impact of a suicide prevention website for men between March 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024. The Männer Stärken website is the first suicide prevention platform for men in Germany, with the primary aim of facilitating help-seeking behavior. The development of the platform was informed by interviews with men who had attempted suicide, as well as by existing evidence on effective communication strategies for engaging men at risk. Methods: This exploratory study combines quantitative web analytics and survey data with a qualitative analysis of open-ended responses from a feedback form. Using the web analytics tool Matomo, data were collected on the number of visits to the website and the subpages they accessed. In addition, 291 anonymous feedback forms were analyzed regarding visitors’ perceptions of the website’s helpfulness and its potential to support help-seeking behavior. A further component involved an online survey (n=40) examining whether a short suicide prevention film featured on the website could increase the intention to seek help. Results: During the study period, the website recorded 29,279 visits. A majority (n=291) of the respondents reported via the feedback form that they found the website helpful (n=201, 69.1%) and believed it could encourage help-seeking behavior (59.8%). In the evaluation of the short film, a significant increase in participants’ intentions to seek help was observed in situations involving suicidal ideation and personal difficulties and when considering professional support services. This effect was not observed with regard to informal sources of support, such as friends or family. Conclusions: The data suggest that the website is being used. Among those who completed the anonymous survey form (N=291), a majority reported that the website fulfills its primary aim of providing helpful pathways to support services. The evaluation of the short film further supports this conclusion. However, certain limitations must be acknowledged: since the data were collected in a field setting, the ability to draw firm conclusions about the characteristics or representativeness of the visitor sample is limited. In addition, the sample size for the short film evaluation was small. Nevertheless, the findings point to a clear need for gender-specific suicide prevention initiatives. They indicate promising directions for the development of effective, low-threshold measures, which merit further investigation in future research.
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<![CDATA[A relationship between inflammatory skin disease and depression revealed in new research.]]>
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Nanotube Injector Boosts Mitochondrial Performance Through Cytoplasmic Transfer

Extracting cytoplasmic material such as proteins, RNA, and mitochondria often relies on cell lysis using detergents or enzymes, which destroy the cells. Ultrasound and other sophisticated physical disruption methods need to be carefully tuned to avoid damaging biomolecules, potentially rendering them too time-consuming.

Delivering material into cells presents further challenges. Lipid-based carriers are limited to small molecules, viral vectors are costly, and microinjection techniques are difficult to scale. To date, no approach allows for controlled and efficient cytoplasmic transfer without compromising cell viability, according to researchers from Waseda University in Japan.

The team published a study “A Nanotube Injector for Cytoplasmic Transfer and Enhanced Mitochondrial Function” in Small Science that reports the development of a nanotube membrane-based injector—a platform that combines nanomaterials and fluid physics to directly transfer cytoplasmic contents between cell populations. The system consists of a thin gold membrane with vertically aligned nanotubes mounted on a glass tube. When this membrane is carefully pressed against cultured cells, the nanotubes penetrate the phospholipid bilayer of the living cells without causing significant damage. By adjusting the internal air pressure of the glass tube, the researchers can “suck up” cytoplasmic material from the source cells, hold it as the tube is repositioned over the target cell culture, and gently flush it into this new population using microliters of a buffer solution.

Infographic from Waseda University in Japan
Credit: Waseda University

Through several experiments using fluorescent dyes and protein assays, the researchers say they confirmed that cytoplasmic contents could be extracted in a pressure-dependent manner. They also found that careful selection of nanotube diameter, nanotube density, and applied pressure was key to minimizing cellular damage. Notably, under optimized conditions, cell viability hovered around 95%, with a cytoplasmic transfer efficiency of well over 90%, note the scientists.

To further test the capabilities of their platform, the team investigated whether it could transfer intact mitochondria. To this end, they labeled mitochondria in donor cells with a fluorescent tag and observed them in the recipient cells via confocal microscopy. They found that dozens of mitochondria could be reliably delivered per cell.

Most importantly, according to Takeo Miyake, PhD, team leader, these mitochondria remained functional, as evidenced by markedly higher levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) produced in recipient cells compared to controls.

“This technology establishes a new paradigm for cell manipulation—transforming cells not by genetic modification but by reconstructing intracellular composition itself,” explains Miyake, adding that such controlled cytoplasmic engineering, enabled by the proposed nanotube injector, could support the development of next-generation cell therapies, improved disease models, and more precise drug screening platforms.

“Directly transferring healthy mitochondria or cytoplasmic components into target cells is particularly relevant for regenerative medicine, where therapeutic cells often suffer from reduced metabolic activity or functional heterogeneity after isolation and expansion,” highlights Miyake, “By restoring or augmenting mitochondrial function without genetic modification, the technology offers a new strategy to improve cell quality prior to transplantation.”

Overall, this innovative system paves the way for a new level of control in cell biology research, as well as bioengineering and biomedical applications, points out the research team.

The post Nanotube Injector Boosts Mitochondrial Performance Through Cytoplasmic Transfer appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

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AI is changing how small online sellers decide what to make

For years Mike McClary sold the Guardian LTE Flashlight, a heavy-duty black model, online through his small outdoor brand. The product, designed for brightness and durability, became one of his most popular items ever. Even after he stopped offering it around 2017, customers kept sending him emails asking where they could buy it. 

When McClary decided to revisit the Guardian flashlight in 2025, he didn’t begin the way he might have in the past, by combing through supplier listings and sending inquiries to factories. Instead, he opened Accio, an AI sourcing and researching tool on Alibaba.com.

For small entrepreneurs in the US, deciding what to sell and where to make it has traditionally been a slow, labor-intensive process that can take months. Now that work is increasingly being done by AI tools like Accio, which help connect businesses with manufacturers in countries including China and India. Business owners and e-commerce experts told MIT Technology Review that these AI tools are making sourcing more accessible and significantly shortening the time it takes to go from product idea to launch. 

McClary, 51, who runs his business from his Illinois living room, has sold products ranging from leather conditioner to camping lights, including one rechargeable lantern that brought in half a million dollars. Like many small online merchants, he built his business by being extremely scrappy—spotting demand for a product, tweaking existing designs, finding a factory, doing modest marketing, and getting the goods in front of customers fast. 

This time, though, he began by telling Accio about the flashlight’s original design, production cost, and profit margin. Then Accio suggested several changes, making it smaller and slightly less bright and switching its charging method to battery power. It also identified a manufacturer in Ningbo, China, that McClary said could cut the manufacturing cost from $17 to about $2.50 per unit.

McClary took the process from there, contacting the supplier himself to discuss the revised design. Within a month, the new version of the Guardian flashlight was back up for sale on Amazon and on his brand’s website.

The new factory hunt

Although Alibaba is better known for owning Taobao, the biggest shopping site in China, its first business was Alibaba.com, the primary website that lists Chinese factories open for bulk orders. Placing an order with a manufacturer usually requires far more than clicking “Buy.” Sellers often spend days or weeks browsing listings, comparing suppliers’ reviews and manufacturing capacities, asking about minimum order quantities, requesting samples, and negotiating timelines and customization options. 

But Accio has gained significant momentum by changing how that sourcing gets done. Launched in 2024, Accio exceeded 10 million monthly active users in March 2026, according to the company. That means about one in five Alibaba users consults with AI about product sourcing.

Accio’s interface looks a lot like ChatGPT or Claude: Users type a question into an empty box and choose between “fast” and “thinking” modes. But when asked about products, the tool returns more than text, offering charts, links, and visuals and asking follow-up questions to clarify the buyer’s needs. It then narrows the field to one or a handful of suppliers that appear capable of delivering. After that, the human work begins: Users still have to reach out to suppliers themselves and negotiate the details.

Zhang Kuo, the president of Alibaba.com, told MIT Technology Review that the tool is built on multiple frontier models, including the company’s own Qwen series, a popular family of open-source large language models. The system is able to pull from the site’s millions of supplier profiles and is trained on 26 years of proprietary transaction data.

For tasks like product research and sourcing analysis, the tool “blows it away” compared with general AI tools like ChatGPT, says Richard Kostick, CEO of the beauty brand 100% Pure.

Many websites have tried using AI to assist shopping, but Alibaba has been one of the most aggressive. In March, Eddie Wu, CEO of the site’s parent company Alibaba Group, told managers that integrating the company’s core services with Qwen’s AI capabilities is a top priority. During a Chinese New Year promotion of Qwen’s personal shopping AI agent, where the company gave away cash, customers placed 200 million orders, the firm says.

Vincenzo Toscano, an e-commerce seller and consultant, recommended Accio to his clients before deciding to try it himself for a new sunglasses brand. He came in with a rough vision: a brand shaped by his Italian heritage, his personal style, and a boutique aesthetic. He says the AI helped turn that concept into something more concrete, suggesting materials, refining the look, and pointing to design ideas that felt current.

But the tool has clear limits. McClary, who uses AI tools regularly, says Accio is strongest when it comes to product ideation, but less helpful on marketing questions such as advertising and social media outreach. To use it well, he says, buyers still need to challenge its recommendations, since some can be generic.

The rest of the business

As platforms become more AI-driven, manufacturers are adjusting too. Sally Yan, a representative at a makeup packaging company in Wuhan, China, says her firm has started writing more detailed product descriptions and adding information about its equipment and manufacturing experience on Alibaba.com because it suspects those details make its listings more likely to be surfaced by AI.

Yan says manufacturers cannot tell whether an inquiry from a customer was generated or guided by AI, and that her firm is not using AI to negotiate pricing or product details.

“AI agents are increasingly used by people to assist decision making or even directly making transactions, and in certain situations,  they can become extremely useful,”

“AI agents are increasingly used by people to assist purchase decisions and even directly making transactions, and with clear data guardrails, they can become extremely useful,” says Jiaxin Pei, a research scientist at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, “but agents need to act transparently, securely, and in the customer’s best interest.” Pei says developers of these tools should disclose the data they collect and the incentives built into them to ensure that the marketplace remains fair.

Zhang, of Alibaba.com, says Accio currently does not include advertising. Suppliers can pay for higher placement in Alibaba.com’s regular search results, but Zhang says Accio is “not integrated” with that system. “We haven’t had a clear answer in terms of how to monetize this tool,” he says. For now, users can pay for additional tokens to continue chatting with the agent after their free queries run out.

Sellers say that while AI tools have made it easier to come up with ideas and get a business off the ground, they do not replace the core skills that make someone good at e-commerce. McClary believes that even when sellers have access to the same market information, some are still better at making decisions, acting quickly, and actually delivering on orders. Those differences, he says, still go a long way.

Toscano, the brand founder and e-commerce consultant, feels good about officially launching his new brand of sunglasses in just a few months: “We [small business owners] always have to bootstrap a lot of decisions. Deciding what to sell often comes down to an educated guess,” he says, “And we’re now in an era when making those decisions is easier than ever.”

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Diabetes Drug Mimics Benefits of Exercise in Prostate Cancer Patients

Scientists have discovered that metformin, a widely prescribed diabetes drug, can have benefits similar to those of regular exercise in prostate cancer patients, whose movement may be limited by their condition or treatment. Published today in EMBO Molecular Medicine, their findings show that metformin increased levels of N-lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe), a molecule naturally produced by the body after intense exercise. 

Exercise can significantly benefit prostate cancer patients both during and after treatment. These patients often receive hormone therapy, which can disrupt metabolism, contribute to weight gain, increase insulin resistance, and affect their overall cardiovascular health. While physical activity is key to supporting their recovery and addressing these side effects, fatigue, pain, and other common symptoms can limit the ability of prostate cancer patients to regularly exercise. 

“Cancer therapy often affects the body in ways that go beyond the tumor,” said Priyamvada Rai, PhD, professor of radiation oncology and co-leader of the Tumor Biology Program at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Supporting metabolic health can influence how patients tolerate treatment and how they feel over time, even if it doesn’t directly change tumor growth. This study was an opportunity to investigate molecular pathways that can be therapeutically activated for better outcomes to treatments that induce metabolic stress.”

Rai and colleagues found that metformin raises levels of Lac-Phe in prostate cancer patients, even in the absence of physical activity. Known for its role in regulating energy levels and weight gain, Lac-Phe is formed by combining lactate, a molecule produced during muscle contraction, and the amino acid phenylalanine. Previous preclinical and clinical studies have reported levels of Lac-Phe spiking after intense exercise and linked it to a reduction in appetite and improved weight control.

“Metabolism is involved in everything cells do,” said David B. Lombard, MD, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and co-leader of the Cancer Epigenetics Program at the Miller School. “These findings suggest Lac-Phe may be a very informative signal for understanding how metformin affects metabolism in prostate cancer patients.”

Prostate cancer patients treated with metformin were found to produce similar levels of Lac-Phe compared to levels reported after intense exercise in previous studies of healthy volunteers. The benefits of Lac-Phe persisted even after hormone therapy began. 

“From a clinical standpoint, seeing a metabolic signal that mirrors what we associate with intense exercise was striking,” said Marijo Bilusic, MD, PhD, genitourinary medical oncologist and professor of medicine and medical oncology at the Miller School. “The result isn’t a new cancer biomarker, but a clearer understanding of how a widely used drug may support metabolic health during prostate cancer treatment—an outcome that matters to patients and clinicians alike.” 

Although a drug like metformin can never fully replace physical activity, these findings offer an alternative approach to accessing some of the benefits of exercise in patients with limited ability to engage in it. 

“What’s encouraging about this work is that it reminds us cancer care isn’t only about targeting tumors—it’s also about supporting the whole patient,” said Rai. “By better understanding how treatments affect metabolism, we can begin to identify ways to help patients maintain strength, resilience, and quality of life throughout their care.”

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What the peptide craze reveals about Americans’ relationship with risk

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tends to favor health choices he sees as natural — whether that means eating “real food” like meat and vegetables instead of ultra-processed food or suggesting, falsely, that nutrition and vitamins are a good alternative for fighting off measles instead of vaccines.

But there’s at least one area where the health secretary breaks with his own tradition. He’s among the many influential voices in health and wellness in favor of people injecting themselves with experimental drugs known as peptides — much to the concern of mainstream public health experts, who warn that these drugs haven’t been sufficiently studied for efficacy or potential side effects, including higher cancer risk.

With demand for peptides on the rise and would-be self-optimizers seeking out the drugs on gray and black markets, Kennedy said on Joe Rogan’s podcast in February that he thought the Food and Drug Administration would take action within a couple of weeks to make them more accessible. That means reclassifying around 14 drugs so that compounding pharmacies can once again offer them after a 2023 rule change under the Biden administration. “I’m a big fan of peptides,” Kennedy said, having “used them myself to really good effect on a couple of injuries.” 

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