Publication date: June 2026

Source: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Volume 176

Author(s): Xin Zhang, Liangxiu Han, Saad Hassan, Philip A. Kalra, James Ritchie, Carl Diver, Jennie Shorley, Stephen White

Publication date: June 2026

Source: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Volume 176

Author(s): Muhammad Abdullah Sarwar, Robertas Damaševičius, Eglė Belousovienė, Rytis Maskeliūnas

Publication date: June 2026

Source: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Volume 176

Author(s): Jinhui Zhang, Yueyang Gao, Jian Liu, Duanduan Chen

Publication date: June 2026

Source: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Volume 176

Author(s): Tassallah Abdullahi, Ali Hamzeh, Isaac Sears, Neelia Abadi, Ritambhara Singh, Carsten Eickhoff, Adeel Abbasi

Cambridge scientists have discovered a light-powered chemical reaction that lets researchers modify complex drug molecules at the final stages of development. Unlike traditional methods that rely on toxic chemicals and harsh conditions, the new approach uses an LED lamp to create essential carbon–carbon bonds under mild conditions. This could make drug discovery faster and more environmentally friendly. The breakthrough was uncovered unexpectedly during a failed laboratory experiment.

Scientists have uncovered an enormous hidden archive of plant DNA that has endured for more than 400 million years. By comparing hundreds of plant genomes, researchers identified more than 2.3 million regulatory DNA sequences that act like genetic switches, controlling when and how genes are activated. These sequences, known as conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs), were detected using a new computational tool called Conservatory.

Researchers have identified two gut bacteria that can produce serotonin, a key chemical that regulates bowel movements. In experiments with mice lacking serotonin, the microbes boosted serotonin levels, increased nerve cells in the colon, and normalized intestinal movement. The study also found that people with IBS have lower levels of one of these bacteria. The discovery suggests gut microbes could become a powerful new target for treating digestive disorders.

A newly identified Australian tree has been dubbed the “zombie” tree because it’s alive but unable to reproduce. Myrtle rust repeatedly kills its young growth, stopping the species from flowering or making seeds. Scientists are scrambling to grow disease-free seedlings in protected locations. Their hope is that a future generation may evolve resistance and bring the species back from the brink.

Tiny plastic particles may be quietly threatening brain health. New research suggests microplastics—now widely found in food, water, and even household dust—could trigger inflammation and damage in the brain through multiple biological pathways. Scientists estimate adults may consume about 250 grams of these particles each year, and some can accumulate in organs including the brain.

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00814-3

The new five-year plan calls for more original scientific research to facilitate the country’s bid for self-reliance.

Scientists are exploring a surprisingly simple way to clean up diesel engines: adding tiny droplets of water to the fuel. During combustion, the water rapidly vaporizes, triggering micro-explosions that improve fuel mixing and lower combustion temperatures. Studies show this technique can slash nitrogen oxide and soot emissions by more than 60% while sometimes even improving engine efficiency. Because it works in existing engines without redesign, it could provide a quick path to cleaner diesel use.

Scientists have uncovered evidence that our Sun may have traveled across the Milky Way as part of a massive migration of Sun-like stars billions of years ago. The journey may have carried the solar system away from the galaxy’s crowded center into a calmer region where life could eventually emerge.

Background: Evidence-based physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics have demonstrated significant short-term benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), but their long-term effectiveness remains unclear, especially in primary health care settings. Objective: This study aimed to explore the long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a novel, digital-driven, multifaceted physician-pharmacist collaborative model for managing patients with T2D in underresourced settings. Methods: We conducted a 12-month cluster randomized controlled trial from May 2021 to December 2022 across 6 primary health care settings in China. Guided by the theory of planned behavior, the intervention involved routine therapy from physicians along with pharmaceutical interventions from pharmacists. These were delivered through a combination of face-to-face visits and mobile health care. The intervention group received 4 face-to-face visits and biweekly remote education sessions over the 12 months. We conducted intention-to-treat analyses to estimate differences in clinical and behavior indicators between the intervention and control groups. Primary outcomes included glycosylated hemoglobin and 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk. Data were analyzed using adjusted generalized estimation equations. Results: This study included 574 patients (291 in the intervention group and 283 in the control group). Over 12 months, patients in the intervention group had significant reductions in hemoglobin A_1c (–2.57 vs –1.96, respectively; P<.001; 95% CI –1.027 to –0.238) and 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk (–1.35 vs 0.01, respectively; P<.001; 95% CI –1.690 to –0.630) compared with the control group. Substantial improvements were also observed in several secondary outcomes, including fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, triglyceride, and total cholesterol. Total diabetes-related costs decreased, and patient satisfaction improved significantly in the intervention group. There were no significant differences in BMI, high-density lipoprotein, or low-density lipoprotein. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the physician-pharmacist collaborative model could improve the long-term quality and efficiency of T2D management and reduce medical costs in underresourced areas globally. Patients with T2D, especially those with central obesity or high cardiovascular risk, may benefit more from collaborative clinics. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000031839; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=51910

Background: Adult-type gliomas are among the most prevalent and lethal primary central nervous system tumors, where prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential for maximizing survival prospects. Molecular classification, particularly the detection of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations and 1p/19q codeletions, has become crucial for accurate diagnosis and prognosis. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising adjunct in enhancing diagnostic accuracy using histopathological images. Existing reviews mostly focused on radiology rather than histopathology, and no comprehensive systematic review has specifically evaluated AI performance exclusively from histopathological images for detecting these two molecular markers. Objective: This study aims to systematically evaluate the performance of AI models in detecting and classifying IDH mutation status and 1p/19q gene codeletion in adult-type gliomas using histopathological images. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-DTA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses–Extension for Diagnostic Test Accuracy) guidelines. Seven databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were searched for studies published between 2015 and 2025. Eligible studies used AI models on histopathological images for molecular classification of adult-type gliomas and reported performance metrics. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using a modified QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2) tool were conducted independently by two reviewers. Extracted data were synthesized narratively. Results: A total of 2453 reports were identified, with 22 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The pooled average accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) across studies were 85.46%, 84.55%, 86.03%, and 86.53%, respectively. Hybrid models demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance (accuracy 92.80% and sensitivity 89.62%). In general, AI models that used multimodal data outperformed those that used unimodal data in terms of sensitivity (90.15% vs 84.31%) and AUC (88.93% vs 86.29%). Furthermore, models had a better overall performance in identifying IDH mutations than 1p/19q codeletions, with higher accuracy (86.13% vs 81.63%), specificity (86.61% vs 78.11%), and AUC (86.74% vs 85.15%). Unexpectedly, AI models designed for binary classification exhibited lower performance than those for multiclass classification in terms of both accuracy (91.98% vs 84.02%) and sensitivity (93.41% vs 80.18%). However, these differences should be interpreted as descriptive trends rather than statistically validated superiority, as formal between-group comparisons were not feasible. Conclusions: AI models show strong potential as complementary tools for the molecular classification of adult-type gliomas using histopathology images, particularly for IDH mutation detection. However, these findings are constrained by the limited number of studies, the focus on adult-type gliomas, lack of meta-analysis, and restriction to English-language publications. While AI offers valuable diagnostic support, it must be integrated with expert clinical judgment. Future research should prioritize larger, more diverse datasets and multimodal AI frameworks and extend to other brain tumor types for broader applicability. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD420250653668; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420250653668

Researchers studying over 8,400 colonoscopies discovered that having both adenomas and serrated polyps in the bowel can raise the risk of serious precancerous changes by up to five times. These two polyp types may represent separate cancer pathways that can occur at the same time. Nearly half of patients with serrated polyps also had adenomas, making this high-risk combination more common than expected. The results emphasize the importance of early detection and regular colonoscopy monitoring.

A severe case of COVID-19 or influenza could increase the risk of lung cancer later on, according to new research. Scientists discovered that serious viral infections can alter immune cells in the lungs, leaving behind chronic inflammation that may help tumors develop months or years later. The increased risk was seen mainly after severe infections that required hospitalization. Vaccination, however, appears to prevent the dangerous lung changes.

In medieval Denmark, people could pay for more prestigious graves closer to the church — a sign of wealth and status. But when researchers examined hundreds of skeletons, they discovered something unexpected: even people with stigmatized diseases like leprosy were buried in these high-status spots. Instead of excluding the sick, many communities appear to have treated them much like everyone else.

Gold and other heavy elements are born in some of the universe’s most violent events—but scientists still struggle to understand the nuclear steps that create them. Now, nuclear physicists have uncovered three key discoveries about how unstable atomic nuclei decay during the rapid neutron-capture process, the chain reaction responsible for forging elements like gold and platinum.

As AI systems began acing traditional tests, researchers realized those benchmarks were no longer tough enough. In response, nearly 1,000 experts created Humanity’s Last Exam, a massive 2,500-question challenge covering highly specialized topics across many fields. The exam was engineered so that any question solvable by current AI models was removed. Early results show even the most advanced systems still struggle — revealing a surprisingly large gap between AI performance and true expert-level knowledge.

Scientists at Arizona State University have uncovered surprising new ways bacteria move, even without their usual whip-like propellers called flagella. In one study, E. coli and salmonella were found to spread across moist surfaces by fermenting sugars and creating tiny fluid currents that carry them forward — a newly identified behavior researchers call “swashing.” In another study, a different group of bacteria was shown to control its movement using a microscopic molecular “gearbox” that can reverse direction like a biological snowmobile.