A new study has identified a critical “pressure sensor” inside the kidney that helps the body control blood pressure and fluid levels. The finding helps explain how the kidneys sense changes in blood volume—something scientists for decades have known occurs but didn’t have a mechanistic explanation.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and collaborating institutions discovered that a protein called PIEZO2 acts as a mechanical sensor in the kidney. When blood volume changes, this protein helps trigger the release of renin, a hormone that starts a chain reaction known as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, or RAAS. The system is one of the body’s main tools for keeping blood pressure stable and making sure the body has the right balance of salt and water.

The study, published today in Cell, shows that without PIEZO2, the kidney releases too much renin. This throws the RAAS off balance and causes the kidneys to filter blood too quickly, something that can lead to health problems if it continues over time.

The world’s first single-dose vaccine to prevent dengue fever has been approved for licensure in one of the largest countries affected by the disease, following 16 years of research contributions by scientists at the University of Vermont (UVM) Vaccine Testing Center, in partnership with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH).

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne disease worldwide, with nearly half the world’s population living in places with the risk of dengue. Along with high fever and severe muscle and bone pain, the virus can lead to shock, bleeding, and death.

With more than 100 million cases reported annually, dengue poses a growing risk throughout the globe, including in the United States. Brazil recorded 5.9 million cases of dengue and more than 6,000 deaths in 2024.

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the periodontal tissues, encompassing pathologies such as gingivitis and periodontitis. It has been shown that these conditions not only lead to localized inflammation but also have systemic effects on overall health. Recent studies have strongly suggested a link between periodontal disease and chronic systemic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases. Among these, endothelial function plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health, and endothelial dysfunction has been reported to contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. Endothelial function refers to the ability of endothelial cells to regulate vasodilation and vasoconstriction, primarily through the production and release of nitric oxide.

Detailed mapping of CD4⁺ T cells from children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has revealed distinct immune cell subsets with likely roles in disease pathogenesis, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings are poised to redirect lupus research and open the door to more precise therapies that avoid broad immune suppression.

Published in Nature Immunology, the study used single-cell RNA sequencing to profile CD4⁺ T-cell subtypes from children with SLE and healthy controls. Although CD4⁺ T cells have long been implicated in lupus, their full diversity and the identity of disease-driving subsets had not been fully defined. The authors note that the results likely apply not only to pediatric lupus but also to adult disease.

“Modulation of a particular CD4⁺ T-cell subset called Th10 might be a good strategy for treating patients with lupus, and we are following up with that goal in mind,” said study co–senior author Dr. Virginia Pascual, the Ronay Menschel Professor of Pediatrics and Gale and Ira Drukier Director of Children’s Health Research at Weill Cornell Medicine.

There is relatively little information on the long-term health effects of tattooing, but a couple of recent studies suggest the art form might trigger prolonged inflammation

Real-time MRI-guided ventricular ablation was demonstrated as a technically feasible and safe approach, providing precise cardiac visualization without radiation.

This case report demonstrates the technical feasibility and safety of the first-in-human real-time magnetic resonance (MR)–guided radiofrequency ventricular ablation procedure for outflow tract premature ventricular complexes.