Two studies published in Nature Medicine and Military Medical Research link accelerated biological aging in younger generations to rising rates of early-onset cancers. Researchers found that people born in more recent decades show larger gaps between their chronological and biological ages, with stronger risks for lung, gastrointestinal, and uterine cancers. A separate global analysis identified six cancers now rising faster in younger adults than older populations.
HHS launches broad initiative to boost US clinical trials amid global competition with China. FDA introduces real-time clinical trial monitoring and expedited programs. NIH Long COVID trials set to begin enrolling participants in summer 2026.
Personalized mRNA vaccines showed promise in pancreatic cancer trials with 7 of 16 patients in remission after five years. Stage 2 melanoma patients saw a 50% decreased death risk with personalized mRNA vaccines. U.S. funding cuts and policy shifts have stalled domestic mRNA cancer research while companies move trials abroad.
Long COVID patients continue to suffer as federal research funding and support programs have been dramatically scaled back, with the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice closed and NIH grants disrupted. The chronic condition affects as many as a third of COVID-19 survivors with over 200 possible symptoms, yet experts say the disease remains difficult to research amid politicization. Medical professionals warn that reduced resources undermine diagnosis, treatment, and the professional pipeline for new research.
UC Davis received a $5 million Gates Foundation grant to expand self-cloning crops to other staple foods. Congress approved continued NIH and NSF funding, maintaining similar levels to the previous year. Faculty and students emphasized federal funding's role in supporting basic research and training scientists.
Two JAMA Network Open studies highlight persistent racial disparities in cancer. One found early-onset cancer rates declining in men but rising in women, with significant variation by race across cancer types. A separate analysis of ovarian cancer trials showed Black patients had lower overall survival and were underrepresented in clinical research.
Researchers identified the first comprehensive group of human monoclonal antibodies targeting measles virus. The study found antibodies against both H and F proteins, including 4F09, which reduced virus to undetectable levels in an animal model.
Support for non-animal testing is growing, but adoption remains slow. Great Britain recorded 2.64 million live animal uses in 2024, while the article cited regulatory barriers and high drug failure rates.
NIH said it will no longer classify BESH studies as clinical trials for grant applications due on or after May 25, 2026. The change removes ClinicalTrials.gov registration and reporting requirements for those studies.
Pitt received $669.7 million in NIH funding in 2025 to rank No. 7 nationally. Penn Nursing received $17.9 million, ranking first among U.S. nursing schools.
