5-Fluorouracil, or 5-FU, is a common medicine used to fight solid tumors. But like many strong drugs, it has side effects. One of them is cardiotoxicity, which affects your heart. Scientists wanted to look into how low doses of 5-FU might change the intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS)—a key part
Did you know that melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep, also plays a big role in protecting plants? Scientists found that when mung bean plants are under stress from cadmium, melatonin steps in to help. This tiny molecule boosts the activity of several key enzymes, making the plants more resil
Ever heard of manganese? It's a metal that our body needs in small doses, but an overdose can cause big trouble. Overexposure to manganese can lead to brain damage, making it behave like Parkinson's disease. Astrocytes, which are like assistants in the brain, are supposed to clean up a protein calle
You might be surprised to know that tiny differences in how our bodies process certain food additives can lead to big differences in safety. Take methyleugenol (ME) and its cousin, methylisoeugenol (MIE), for example. Both are used in foods, but one's classified as a potential carcinogen, while the
Imagine trying to kill deep-hidden tumors with light, but the light can't reach deep enough. Plus, tumors often have low oxygen levels, making them tough to kill with traditional methods. Scientists are now exploring a new type of light-absorbing chemical, called Near-Infrared (NIR) photosensitizers
You know those tiny pieces of plastic that pollute our oceans and rivers? They're not just a problem for the environment, but also for the creatures living in it, like zebrafish. We found out that when these little plastic bits, called nanoplastics, are very small (about 20 nanometers), they can do
Ever heard of aristolochic acids (AA)? They're sneaky compounds that can cause big problems, like chronic renal disease, worldwide. The main troublemaker is aristolochic acid I (AA-I). Scientists wanted to know why AA-I is so much worse than its cousin, aristolochic acid II (AA-II), even though they
Soils near an industrial park in Shandong Province, China, were found to contain 81 different perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This was done using a new approach that helps scientists find unknown compounds without needing to know their structure beforehand. Among these PFAS, 12
Imagine tiny plastic bits exposed to sun's UV light. These bits, called nanoplastics, can change over time, affecting how they interact with metals like mercury. But what happens when these aged nanoplastics meet mercury, and how does it impact marine life? A study looked into this with a tiny crust
Aluminum is a common toxin in our environment that can harm our brains. This study looked at how aluminum affects the brain using rats and nerve cells called PC12 cells. The researchers wanted to understand how a small RNA called miR-98-5p affects a protein called insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2)
