Research News

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Age, diet and lifestyle are known risk factors. However, in most cases we still lack a precise understanding of what triggers the disease.

In recent years, researchers have increasingly turned their attention to the ecosystem of the gut – the vast community of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that live there.

Hygiene in everyday items that touch the body—such as clothing, masks, and toothbrushes—is critically important. The underlying principle of how graphene selectively eliminates only bacteria has now been revealed. A KAIST research team has presented the potential for a next-generation antibacterial material that is safe for the human body and capable of replacing antibiotics.

Researchers at VIB, VUB, and KU Leuven have identified a tiny binding site, a molecular ’keyhole’, in the TRPM3 ion channel, a crucial sensor in pain signaling. TRPM3 is also linked to rare neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy. In a recent study published in Nature Communications, the researchers found that even the slightest change in this keyhole can radically switch the channel’s behavior, explaining how certain mutations can flip the effects of drugs. 

Developing an effective HIV vaccine remains one of the major challenges in global health. One promising approach focuses on so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies, antibodies that can block many different variants of HIV. However, only a small fraction of people living with the virus develop these antibodies naturally.

A phase 3 clinical trial has found that finerenone, a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, produces a significantly greater reduction in a key marker of kidney damage compared to placebo in adults with Type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The results were published on March 5, 2026 in the New England Journal of Medicine.