Researchers at Kyoto University have discovered that an immune molecule found only in primates, called IGFL2, plays a key role in regulating inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). IGFL2 is produced by a subset of immune cells in the joints of patients with RA and acts like fuel on a fire: it activates more immune cells, further amplifying inflammation and worsening joint damage. They also found that IGFL2 levels were much higher in the blood of patients with RA, especially in those with more severe symptoms. These findings support IGFL2’s potential as a diagnostic marker, a tool for monitoring disease progression, and a target for new therapies, paving the way for earlier detection, more effective treatments, and better quality of life for people with RA worldwide.

A 2024 viewpoint led by researchers at Tohoku University’s AIMR reveals a strong correlation between hardness and ionic conductivity in NASICON-type solid electrolytes. By analyzing literature data, they identified relative density as a key factor, offering a practical strategy to enhance both properties for safer, high-performance sodium-ion batteries.

Tohoku University researchers discovered some new principles that aid the electrochemical conversion of nitrate waste, an unwanted byproduct of modern day ammonia production. Their discovery will advance cleaner, more sustainable forms of ammonia production. 

Researchers from Japan and France have successfully reconstituted the development of mouse egg cells, known as oocytes, from embryonic stem cells entirely in vitro, without the need for ovarian support cells. This new method offers researchers a powerful new platform to investigate the molecular mechanisms that control oogenesis, the process by which egg cells develop, and lays important groundwork for future applications in human reproductive biology.

A team from The University of Osaka found that the intestinal flora works together with the OTUD3 and STING genes to aggravate ulcerative colitis, a disease with no cure that causes major intestinal pain and bloody diarrhea. When the OTUD3 gene is mutated, microbes in the intestinal flora trigger STING signalingOTUD, leading to inflammation in the colon. The intestinal flora and STING signaling may be important new targets for ulcerative colitis treatment.

A new international study suggests that ancient viral DNA embedded in our genome, which were long dismissed as genetic “junk”, may actually play powerful roles in regulating gene expression. Focusing on a family of sequences called MER11, researchers from Japan, China, Canada, and the US have shown that these elements have evolved to influence how genes turn on and off, particularly in early human development.

Rabi-like splitting is one of the key concepts in modern quantum technology. Fully understanding it can help us advance our knowledge in quantum information processing.

For many years, scientists have struggled to understand the mechanisms behind palladium/platinum catalysts for propylene electrooxidation, a sustainable means of producing valuable oxygen-containing organic compounds used in various industrial processes. Yet a research group has further clarified the matter in a recently published journal.