ScienceDaily: All - May 05, 2025
Today's top research news
Traditional forest medicinal plant ghost pipe used differently today
Despite a long history of traditional medicinal use in the United States, the collection, consumption and efficacy of the peculiar forest plant aptly named ghost pipe, scientific name Monotropa uniflora, remains a mystery. Now, with social media and the internet driving a resurgence in the harvest and economic trade of the parasitic species -- which appears strangely white because it is devoid of chlorophyl -- a research team has taken the first step toward documenting its new status.
How cellular quality control contributes to insulin resistance related to type 2 diabetes
Researchers have revealed critical insights into how impaired mitochondrial dynamics and quality control mechanisms in skeletal muscle influence insulin sensitivity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, or T2D. The research team focused on the significance of deubiquitinating enzymes, or DUBs, in regulating mitochondrial dynamics within skeletal muscle. Findings suggest that mitochondrial fragmentation can bypass defects in mitophagy, the process by which cells remove damaged mitochondria, to sustain skeletal muscle quality control in patients with T2D. This adaptation may help maintain mitochondrial function despite impaired mitophagy.
'Cold' manufacturing approach to make next-gen batteries
Lithium-ion batteries have been a staple in device manufacturing for years, but the liquid electrolytes they rely on to function are quite unstable, leading to fire hazards and safety concerns. Now, researchers are pursuing a reliable alternative energy storage solution for use in laptops, phones and electric vehicles: solid-state electrolytes (SSEs).
Scientists discover key to taming unrest at Italy's Campi Flegrei
New research shows that elevation changes and earthquakes in Italy's Campi Flegrei volcanic area are caused by rising pressure in a geothermal reservoir -- not magma or its gases, as commonly thought. Channeling water runoff or lowering groundwater levels could reduce risks for surrounding communities.
From boring to bursting: Giant black hole awakens
Astronomers are investigating the longest and most energetic bursts of X-rays seen from a newly awakened black hole. Watching this strange behavior unfold in real time offers a unique opportunity to learn more about these powerful events and the mysterious behavior of massive black holes.
Driving the CAR to fight acute myeloid leukemia
A multi-institutional team developed a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell-based strategy for specifically targeting AML cells in patients who relapsed following other treatments. The team identified a monoclonal antibody called KG2032 that reacts with a certain variant of the HLA-DRB1 molecule. KG2032 CAR T cells displayed strong anti-AML effects in a mouse model, and CAR natural killer cells showed similar results. Clinical trials are currently being planned.
Drug pollution alters salmon migration
Study reveals commonly detected environmental levels of clobazam -- a medication often prescribed for sleep disorders -- increased the river-to-sea migration success of juvenile salmon in the wild. The research team employed slow-release pharmaceutical implants and animal-tracking transmitters to monitor how exposure to clobazam and the opioid painkiller tramadol -- another common pharmaceutical pollutant -- affected the behaviour and migration of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Sweden's River Dal as they migrated to the Baltic Sea.