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After analyzing nearly 500 feline tumors across multiple countries, researchers found the same cancer-linked mutations seen in human blood, lung, bone, skin and even breast cancers. One mutation — FBXW7 — appears far more often in cats than in people, but when it shows up in humans, outcomes are worse. Here’s the twist: common chemotherapy drugs like vincristine may slow those tumors in cats — potentially offering a faster, real-world testing ground for treatments that could later help human patients.

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Cats give genetic clues to better cancer treatments

Similarities between pet and human tumours suggest new ideas for targeting both

Household animal species are of particular interest because they are exposed to some of the same environmental risks as their human companions

Domestic cats have emerged as unlikely allies in the fight against human cancers, after scientists found close similarities between genetic changes that drive the deadly disease in both species.

The discoveries from the first large-scale DNA study of feline tumours open up new ideas for treatments for people and pets, researchers from the UK’s Wellcome Sanger Institute said.

Scientists are increasingly focusing on genetic lessons from animals that are prone to cancers or unusually resilient to them. Household species are of particular interest because they are exposed to some of the same environmental risks as their human companions.

“By comparing cancer genomics across different species, we gain a greater understanding of what causes the disease,” said Bailey Francis, a Wellcome Sanger researcher and co-first author of a paper published in the journal Science on Thursday. “This could help experts in the veterinary field as well as those studying cancer in humans.”

The Wellcome Sanger researchers and colleagues from countries including Canada and Switzerland examined 13 cat cancer types using tissue samples collected by vets from almost 500 domestic animals across five countries.

They sequenced DNA from tumours and healthy tissues to look for about 1,000 genes that are associated with cancer in people. The felines showed similar genetic mutations to humans in cases of blood, bone, lung, skin, gastrointestinal and central nervous system tumours.

One of the most intriguing findings was for cat breast cancers, more than half of which showed a mutation in a gene called FBXW7. The change is far rarer in human mammary cancers, but the prognosis for the sufferer is worse when it is present.

The researchers found that the chemotherapeutic drugs vincristine and vinorelbine, used to treat diseases such as leukaemia, curbed the growth of the FBXW7-mutated tumours in cat tissues.

This suggested an initial test of the drugs’ effectiveness against breast cancer could be done in felines, as a trial in people would be hard to organise because of the FBXW7 mutation’s relative scarcity.

“Since vincristine is already in use in both human and veterinary clinics, it offers the opportunity for use in a clinical trial in felines with mammary cancer, with the results being extremely informative for human breast cancer patients,” said Louise Van Der Weyden, a cancer genetics expert at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and senior author of the cat paper.

The feline cancer work was an interesting contribution to the expanding field of “comparative oncology” between humans and other animals, said Trevor Graham, professor of genomics and evolution at The Institute of Cancer Research, London.
Geoff Wood and Arlene Khachadoorian in lab coats seated beside a microscope in a laboratory.Geoff Wood, left, and Arlene Khachadoorian from Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in Canada are two of the authors of the paper
Other researchers are examining whether the suspected genetic reasons for elephants’ striking resistance to malignant tumours can be translated into treatments for humans.

“Understanding the mechanisms that make different species better — or worse — at suppressing cancer may give us clues about how to prevent or treat human disease,” Graham said.

“Humans and animals have a shared evolutionary history, so there is much we can potentially learn by studying cancers in other animals that could eventually benefit human patients — and vice versa.”

They tracked 1.2 million babies for a decade — and the “meat myth” didn’t survive the data. A massive national study led by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Israel’s Health Ministry followed infants from vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous households — and found their growth by age 2 was nearly identical. Weight. Height. Head circumference. Across the board, babies raised in plant-based homes developed along the same trajectories as their meat-eating peers. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed health data from 2014 to 2023 — covering about 70% of children nationwide. In Israel, nearly 95% of babies attend government wellness clinics, creating one of the largest infant nutrition datasets ever examined. Yes, vegan infants showed slightly higher odds of being underweight in the first 60 days. But by 24 months? The difference disappeared. Stunting rates were low across all groups. No significant developmental gaps. Researchers say the key isn’t meat — it’s planning. Well-balanced plant-based diets, proper prenatal care, and nutritional guidance matter more than whether chicken or tofu is on the menu. And then there’s iron — the nutrient critics always point to. According to the researchers, plant foods like legumes often contain more iron than meat. While absorption differs, families who plan carefully appear to balance it out. The bigger warning? Ultra-processed food. Vegan junk food exists too — and that’s where real risk may lie. So if nearly 1.2 million data points show no developmental disadvantage… Why does the myth still persist? Full story in the comments.
They tracked 1.2 million babies for a decade — and the “meat myth” didn’t survive the data. A massive national study led by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Israel’s Health Ministry followed infants from vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous households — and found their growth by age 2 was nearly identical. Weight. Height. Head circumference. Across the board, babies raised in plant-based homes developed along the same trajectories as their meat-eating peers. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed health data from 2014 to 2023 — covering about 70% of children nationwide. In Israel, nearly 95% of babies attend government wellness clinics, creating one of the largest infant nutrition datasets ever examined. Yes, vegan infants showed slightly higher odds of being underweight in the first 60 days. But by 24 months? The difference disappeared. Stunting rates were low across all groups. No significant developmental gaps. Researchers say the key isn’t meat — it’s planning. Well-balanced plant-based diets, proper prenatal care, and nutritional guidance matter more than whether chicken or tofu is on the menu. And then there’s iron — the nutrient critics always point to. According to the researchers, plant foods like legumes often contain more iron than meat. While absorption differs, families who plan carefully appear to balance it out. The bigger warning? Ultra-processed food. Vegan junk food exists too — and that’s where real risk may lie. So if nearly 1.2 million data points show no developmental disadvantage… Why does the myth still persist? Full story in the comments.

Vegetarian and vegan babies develop at same rate as meat-eating peers – Israeli study Big-data study by Ben-Gurion…

A simple brain game cut dementia risk by 26% — even 20 years later. Not a miracle drug. Not a new surgery. Just targeted “speed” exercises that retrain how fast your brain processes information. A study published in the Alzheimer’s Association research journal found that participants who practiced specific brain speed exercises — and followed up with booster sessions — were significantly less likely to develop dementia two decades later. Here’s what makes it different: it’s not about memorizing word lists. It’s about forcing the brain to move faster. Training eye coordination. Expanding field of vision. Processing visual and auditory signals more quickly. According to Dr. Perminder Bhatia, when dementia begins, brain connections slow down. Signals weaken. Neurotransmitters decline. But when you repeatedly challenge processing speed, those connections strengthen and fire more efficiently. One example? Programs like BrainHQ’s “Hawk Eye,” designed to sharpen visual speed and reaction time. The idea is adaptation — pushing the brain slightly beyond its comfort zone so it rewires itself. Doctors recommend starting after 50. But the research suggests anyone can benefit. And in a world where dementia risk rises sharply with age, that 26% reduction isn’t small. It raises a bigger question: if something this simple can reshape brain aging, why aren’t more people doing it? Full story in the comments.
A simple brain game cut dementia risk by 26% — even 20 years later. Not a miracle drug. Not a new surgery. Just targeted “speed” exercises that retrain how fast your brain processes information. A study published in the Alzheimer’s Association research journal found that participants who practiced specific brain speed exercises — and followed up with booster sessions — were significantly less likely to develop dementia two decades later. Here’s what makes it different: it’s not about memorizing word lists. It’s about forcing the brain to move faster. Training eye coordination. Expanding field of vision. Processing visual and auditory signals more quickly. According to Dr. Perminder Bhatia, when dementia begins, brain connections slow down. Signals weaken. Neurotransmitters decline. But when you repeatedly challenge processing speed, those connections strengthen and fire more efficiently. One example? Programs like BrainHQ’s “Hawk Eye,” designed to sharpen visual speed and reaction time. The idea is adaptation — pushing the brain slightly beyond its comfort zone so it rewires itself. Doctors recommend starting after 50. But the research suggests anyone can benefit. And in a world where dementia risk rises sharply with age, that 26% reduction isn’t small. It raises a bigger question: if something this simple can reshape brain aging, why aren’t more people doing it? Full story in the comments.

How brain exercises can help lower the risk of dementia An error has occurred. Please contact support for…

DNA from the glove. DNA from inside the house. No hit in the FBI database. Now the community is on edge. Neighbors are installing cameras. A small vigil grows outside her home. One man who knew her from church said, “We’ve never gone through this before.” Meanwhile, investigators have reportedly reviewed firearm purchases tied to nearly two dozen individuals. Tips are flooding in. The FBI previously raised its own reward to $100,000 — before this anonymous boost doubled it. And then there’s the theory that’s raising eyebrows: a veteran private investigator now believes a cartel may be involved — but not that she was taken across the border. He points to the suspect’s behavior on camera, the backpack, even the holster. He believes she may still be somewhere north of Tucson. Authorities have not confirmed that theory. What we know: A missing grandmother. A masked figure on camera. No DNA match. $200,000 on the table.
DNA from the glove. DNA from inside the house. No hit in the FBI database. Now the community is on edge. Neighbors are installing cameras. A small vigil grows outside her home. One man who knew her from church said, “We’ve never gone through this before.” Meanwhile, investigators have reportedly reviewed firearm purchases tied to nearly two dozen individuals. Tips are flooding in. The FBI previously raised its own reward to $100,000 — before this anonymous boost doubled it. And then there’s the theory that’s raising eyebrows: a veteran private investigator now believes a cartel may be involved — but not that she was taken across the border. He points to the suspect’s behavior on camera, the backpack, even the holster. He believes she may still be somewhere north of Tucson. Authorities have not confirmed that theory. What we know: A missing grandmother. A masked figure on camera. No DNA match. $200,000 on the table.

Anonymous donation raises reward for help finding Nancy Guthrie to over $200,000 An anonymous donation to the Pima…

Scientists just discovered they can detect the Epstein-Barr virus using ordinary human genome sequencing data — the same data originally collected to study our own genes. And what they found could change how we understand cancer, autoimmune disease, and immune failure. Nearly 90–95% of adults worldwide carry EBV. It infects most people in childhood, then buries itself inside B cells for life. Quiet. Dormant. Untouchable. Until it isn’t. EBV has long been linked to cancers like Hodgkin’s lymphoma and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. But one major mystery remained: how much virus is actually circulating in the blood — and why does it spike in some people?
Scientists just discovered they can detect the Epstein-Barr virus using ordinary human genome sequencing data — the same data originally collected to study our own genes. And what they found could change how we understand cancer, autoimmune disease, and immune failure. Nearly 90–95% of adults worldwide carry EBV. It infects most people in childhood, then buries itself inside B cells for life. Quiet. Dormant. Untouchable. Until it isn’t. EBV has long been linked to cancers like Hodgkin’s lymphoma and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. But one major mystery remained: how much virus is actually circulating in the blood — and why does it spike in some people?

New method estimates Epstein-Barr virus in blood using standard genome sequencing data This electron microscopic image of two…

“You have no proof she’s not alive,” Nanos said. And he insists this is still a rescue mission — not a recovery. Then he spoke directly to whoever knows where she is. “Take her to a park. Take her to a hospital. Just let her go. It will work out better for you in the long run.” Seventeen days. No confirmed suspect. A glove with unknown male DNA. A pacemaker that went silent. And a family waiting.
“You have no proof she’s not alive,” Nanos said. And he insists this is still a rescue mission — not a recovery. Then he spoke directly to whoever knows where she is. “Take her to a park. Take her to a hospital. Just let her go. It will work out better for you in the long run.” Seventeen days. No confirmed suspect. A glove with unknown male DNA. A pacemaker that went silent. And a family waiting.

‘Just let her go’: Sheriff issues plea to suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos…

It starts so ordinary. An invite that says “siblings welcome.” Organic snacks. No nuts, no gluten. Kids laughing, balloons popping, sunlight pouring through the windows. One child has a mild cold. No one thinks twice. But measles doesn’t need drama to spread. It lingers in the air for hours. It infects up to 90% of the unvaccinated. And it moves silently at first. A week later, her daughter has a fever. Then a cough. Then a rash. She Googles. Posts in a mom group. Hopes it’s chicken pox. Hopes it’s the flu. By the time the pediatrician meets them in the parking lot wearing an N95 mask, it’s too late to pretend. Oxygen levels are low. Crackling in the lungs. An emergency room. Isolation. Pneumonia.
It starts so ordinary. An invite that says “siblings welcome.” Organic snacks. No nuts, no gluten. Kids laughing, balloons popping, sunlight pouring through the windows. One child has a mild cold. No one thinks twice. But measles doesn’t need drama to spread. It lingers in the air for hours. It infects up to 90% of the unvaccinated. And it moves silently at first. A week later, her daughter has a fever. Then a cough. Then a rash. She Googles. Posts in a mom group. Hopes it’s chicken pox. Hopes it’s the flu. By the time the pediatrician meets them in the parking lot wearing an N95 mask, it’s too late to pretend. Oxygen levels are low. Crackling in the lungs. An emergency room. Isolation. Pneumonia.

Illustration by The Atlantic The birthday-party invitation said “siblings welcome,” which means you can bring your 11-month-old son while…