Medical research

Editors of medical journals deal with allegations of research misconduct, defined by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) in the U.S. as fabrication, falsification and plagiarism. Research misconduct threatens the validity of science, undermines trust in science and contributes to misinformation and disinformation about science.

Cyanide is a highly lethal chemical that has been used in warfare and poisonings for centuries—that was the general consensus on the naturally occurring chemical up until spring 2025. But in a global study published in Nature Metabolism, a research team from seven countries and 12 universities, including South Dakota State University, has upended the world’s consensus on cyanide. The researchers have found that while cyanide remains highly poisonous, it also plays a fundamental role in normal cell function.

In Estonia, many people learned a lesson from ethnomedicine as children: that placing a plantain leaf on a scraped knee would help to heal the skin faster. This practice has been a common way to aid skin recovery for generations. Today, scientific studies have confirmed that plantain plants do indeed accelerate wound healing and possess anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

Researchers at The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have demonstrated the potential for a new combination therapy to improve outcomes for patients with myelofibrosis, a rare and aggressive blood cancer.

Cancer researchers at Children’s Medical Research Institute have discovered an “unexpected mechanism” that our cells use to avoid cancer.

A new study published in Nature Communications reveals a novel approach to mitigating tissue damage caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, the flesh-eating bacterium responsible for severe infections such as necrotizing fasciitis. The research highlights how disrupting bacterial metabolism can help the body better tolerate infection and heal more effectively.

Glioblastoma (GBM), one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer, is one of the greatest challenges for medicine, both because it is difficult to treat and because of its high mortality rate. In Brazil, although no exact figures are available, it is estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.

An international group of researchers has identified an important mechanism that enables stem cells to evade immune rejection. Their research, published in Nature, sheds light on how these specialized cells create an “immune-privileged” environment—areas in the body where stem cells survive and function without being attacked by the immune system. The team was led by Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Nagoya University and Columbia University) and Joji Fujisaki (Harvard University and Columbia University).

Black Americans are more willing to participate in medical studies led by Black doctors and researchers, perceiving them as more trustworthy, finds a new study co-authored by a Cornell economist.

Following an injury, such as a traumatic crush injury, the peripheral nervous system is itself often able to effectively regenerate. This regeneration capacity is mainly attributable to the Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system. These cells are quick-change artists that can transform themselves into repair cells when needed.