The Alphafold machine learning system for predicting a protein’s structure from its amino acid sequence has been adapted to make it possible to design de novo proteins that fold in a particular way and bind to prespecified target proteins. The sister system, called Alphadesign, works by generating random strings of amino acids, using Alphafold to predict their structure, and then iteratively optimizing the design.

Is fecal microbiota transplant effective? Is it really safe? And is it really all the same? Scientists at the University of Chicago have investigated the regional differences in gut environments to question these interventions to analyze the microbiome differences and their effects after transplantation form different intestine areas. The results show how host-microbe mismatches after these interventions could affect gut health.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc. have released an open-source AI model that can predict the binding strength of small molecules as well as structures of proteins and biomolecular complexes. The model, which is called Boltz-2 and was released by the research team on the developer platform Github on June 6, addresses a major bottleneck in drug discovery with its improved ability to predict binding strengths.

Researchers from the University of Arizona have unveiled that coordinated Y chromosome loss in both cancer cells and immune cells may explain the worse prognosis in people with this alteration. The loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) is one of the most frequent somatic mutations in men, particularly with advancing age. Investigating the mechanisms and effects of LOY in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and its association with immune and tumor cells, they “found a relationship between the Y chromosome loss in normal cells inside the tumor and the Y chromosome loss inside the cancer cell,” Dan Theodorescu, senior author of the study, told BioWorld.

A publication based on longitudinal and cross sectional data and led by researchers at the U.S. NIH’s National Institute on Aging published on June 5, 2025 in Science has stated that the impact of taurine supplementation at delaying aging or treating aging-related conditions is context-dependent, and that the circulating levels of taurine are impacted by factors unique to each individual rather than declining with age. To qualify taurine as a true marker of aging, it should change with age across diverse populations over time and ideally supported by longitudinal data.

Researchers in the U.K. have overthrown the orthodox view that childhood cancers have a low mutation burden, opening up new drug targets and opportunities for repurposing existing therapies. In particular, a high mutation rate is associated with a response to cancer immunotherapy. But although PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors are approved for treating pediatric cancers with a high level of microsatellite instability mutations, in general it is thought childhood tumors are not amenable to immunotherapy.

Researchers have identified KpsM as a virulence factor in Escherichia coli that was responsible for liver damage in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH). A small-molecule inhibitor of KpsM reduced liver damage in animal models of AH.

Anti-aging specialist Juvenescence Ltd. reached the first close of its series B-1 at $76 million and said it is on course to close the round at $150 million in the third quarter of 2025. “The reason for the first close and not waiting for the very end is just so we can start to move the pipeline forward,” said Richard Marshall, CEO. “We’ve got molecules in and waiting to go, so the sooner we can get going on those, the better,” he told BioWorld.

Researchers at the University of Chicago have shed light on the role of tumor-promoting factors induced by radiotherapy and their potential impact on future therapeutic strategies. The article, published in Nature on May 14, 2025, points to radiation-induced amphiregulin as a key driver of tumor metastasis.

Gene and cell therapies (GCTs) can target the kidney to treat congenital, acute or chronic diseases affecting this organ. However, its complex structure poses a challenge for these technologies. To be precise and effective in the long term, new approaches should circumvent the specificities of renal tissue, with novel methods of delivery and gene transfer to offer new therapeutic options for patients who lack them.