Author: admin

Lower Tregs Linked With Survival in Multiple Myeloma
Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are more likely to experience early relapse if they have a lower percentage of regulatory T cells (Tregs) at diagnosis, a new report published in Cancer Medicine has found.¹

Low Tregs might also be an indicator of functional high-risk (FHR) status, the authors noted.

Corresponding author Fang Xu, PhD, of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and colleagues wrote that assessing risk is critically important in MM because the disease is curable, and almost every patient will eventually relapse. Xu and colleagues pointed to a 2023 study that showed that more than 1 in 10 (11.6%) of patients who are not categorized as high risk using traditional baseline risk assessments will still go on to have an early relapse, which they defined as relapse within 18 months.²

“Therefore, identifying patients with functional high risk early has brought increased attention,” Xu and colleagues wrote.

The findings that patients with multiple myeloma are more likely to relapse early if they have a lower percentage of regulatory T cells at diagnosis contradicts previous research.

Image credit: ibreakstock – stock.adobe.com

FHR refers to patients who will experience an aggressive disease course and early relapse even when treated with novel agents like proteasome inhibitors and/or immunomodulatory drugs, autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), and CD38 antibodies, they wrote.

To identify FHR patients, Xu and colleagues started with the tumor microenvironment. Within the MM tumor microenvironment, Tregs play a particularly important role.

“Tregs can suppress the body’s immune response, thereby weakening the immune attacks on tumor cells,” they said. “Secondly, Tregs may promote tumor growth and survival by regulating the immune response in the tumor microenvironment.”

The investigators hypothesized that studying patient Tregs at diagnosis might therefore provide insight into potential correlations between Tregs and early relapse.

The authors identified 70 patients who were newly diagnosed with MM between 2016 and 2023. Participants’ Tregs were assessed at baseline. Early relapse was defined as relapse within 18 months following initial treatment or relapse within 12 months of ASCT. Sixteen patients in the study went on to have early relapses.

In the cohort as a whole, neither the median progression-free survival (PFS) nor the median overall survival (OS) was reached. However, in patients with early relapse, the median OS was 24.8 months and the median PFS was 10.8 months.

When the investigators analyzed patients’ medical records, they found that elevated serum creatinine levels, the presence of extramedullary disease, and a lower percentage of Tregs at diagnosis were associated with early relapse. Extramedullary disease and Tregs were found to be significant predictors of early relapse in multivariate analysis.

Previous research has suggested features like elevated LDH, extramedullary disease, and high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities were associated with early relapse.

“Our results indicate that when traditional high-risk biological factors are incorporated, Tregs at diagnosis were demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for ER18 (early relapse),” they wrote. “Therefore, Tregs at diagnosis may be used to predict some type of FHR.”

Conversely, patients with a higher percentage of Tregs at diagnosis tended to have better outcomes.

Xu and colleagues acknowledged that their findings are at odds with a handful of previous studies that suggested higher Tregs were associated with poorer OS and PFS. One reason for the discrepancy may be changes in treatment regimens over time. They also noted that their study was a single-center study with a small sample size.

Still, they said their findings suggest that Tregs at diagnosis could be an important factor to incorporate into treatment planning as clinicians seek to personalize care.

References
1. Zhou Q, Xu F, Wen J, et al. Tregs at Diagnosis as a Potential Biomarker for Predicting High-Risk Functionality in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma. Cancer Med. 2025;14(11):e70980. doi:10.1002/cam4.70980
2. Yan W, Xu J, Fan H, et al. Early relapse within 18 months is a powerful dynamic predictor for prognosis and could revise static risk distribution in multiple myeloma. Cancer. 2024;130(3):421-432. doi:10.1002/cncr.35056
Continue Reading
July 1, 2025
ACIP Members Show Inexperience, Lack of Understanding at First Meeting, Experts Say – MedPage Today
1. ACIP Members Show Inexperience, Lack of Understanding at First Meeting, Experts Say MedPage Today
2. Viewpoint: CDC’s upcoming vaccine advisory meeting set up to sow distrust in vaccines CIDRAP
3. Exclusive: US CDC vaccine presentation cites study that does not exist, author says Reuters
4. If Thimerosal Is Safe, Why Is It Being Removed From Vaccines? Time Magazine
5. This Week’s Industry News, RFK Jr. criticizes Gavi, Trump Pulls Federal Subscriptions, and More The Medicine Maker
Continue Reading
July 1, 2025
Should BBC Have Livestreamed the IDF Chants at Glastonbury?

The BBC and the authorities’ response to the chants led by punk-rap band Bob Vylan show the regulatory system is working, says Northeastern professor Adrian Hillman.

Bob Vylan led chants against the Israel Defense Forces during the band’s performance at Britain’s Glastonbury festival (Press Association via AP Images)

LONDON — Members of the British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan have faced considerable backlash since they urged fans to chant “death to the IDF,” the acronym for the Israel Defense Forces, during a weekend show at the Glastonbury festival.

The men have reportedly been dropped by their agency, the United States has revoked their visas ahead of a North American tour this year and U.K. police are looking into whether the incident meets the threshold of a hate crime.

But the duo, who in a statement insisted that they are “not for death of jews, arabs or any other race,” are not the only ones facing flak for the comments made at Britain’s biggest festival — so is the BBC, the official broadcast partner of Glastonbury.

The broadcaster has apologized for allowing the comments by frontman Bobby Vylan to be livestreamed Saturday from the West Holts stage, with its 30,000-person capacity. But that has not stopped the BBC from being singled out for criticism.

The U.K.’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, called it a “national shame” that the chants were shared with a wider audience, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there were questions for the state broadcaster to answer.

Adrian Hillman, an assistant professor of communication at Northeastern University in London, says the BBC has a difficult path to tread when it comes to impartially airing views on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

“There is a catch-22 here because, let’s say the BBC editors had seen something coming,” says Hillman. “Let’s say they broadcast it on a delay and that they heard the chants and stopped it from airing. Can you imagine the outcry over freedom of speech if they had done that?

“Let’s be frank — this is a really hard subject to touch upon and not to tread on toes. The BBC has been criticized by the pro-Palestine lobbies and by pro-Israel lobbies for its coverage [of the war]. It is taking flak from everywhere.”

Dan Kennedy, associate professor of journalism, poses for a portrait. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Adrian Hillman, assistant professor of communication, and Dan Kennedy, professor of journalism look at the BBC’s handling of the Bob Vylan controversy. Courtesy photo and photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

The BBC has a model that is unique in its funding and mission, explains Hillman. It is largely funded via a TV license fee where those who watch or record live television, or use the BBC’s iPlayer on-demand service, pay £174.50 ($239.60) annually. It negotiates a Royal Charter with the British government every decade that provides the constitutional basis for the BBC and sets out its mission and public purposes.

As well as having to remain impartial with its news coverage, another of its purposes is to provide and spread culture around the U.K., something Hillman argues it fulfills with its yearly wall-to-wall Glastonbury coverage.

And while the BBC has admitted it made an error by not pulling the plug on the livestream of Bob Vylan’s performance after the chants broke out, Hillman points out that it has promised to learn from its mistakes.

The BBC issued an apology and said the Bob Vylan show included “utterly unacceptable” and “antisemitic” comments. The broadcaster livestreamed the chants with a warning on screen about the language.

“Pulling the live stream brings certain technological challenges,” the BBC said in a statement. “With hindsight, we would have taken it down.”

The livestream was viewable online for a number of hours afterward but the BBC has decided the band’s performance will not be made available on its catch-up iPlayer service. It is also set to review its editorial guidance around live events.

Ofcom, the U.K. communications regulator, issued a statement saying it was “very concerned” about Bob Vylan’s comments being livestreamed and that it was seeking clarity over “what procedures were in place to ensure compliance with its own editorial guidelines.”

Hillman says the responses from the BBC, Ofcom and the police in the aftermath of the incident show that the U.K.’s regulatory and lawful environment are functioning well and that checks against extreme behavior are in place.

“One of my arguments would be,” Hillman continues, “that I’d rather something is aired by the BBC, they correct it, outline the concern and highlight that what was done was incorrect, than it be sent out on YouTube without a disclaimer, without concern and without any moderation.

“So while mistakes will be made, because you cannot have an entity the size and scope of the BBC without making mistakes, those mistakes are brought to the forefront and are corrected.

“Broadcasting is regulated in this country. Regulation has its concerns but it also has its place — wise, thoughtful analysis of broadcasting has prevented a lot of disinformation and misinformation going out there.

“I would make an argument and say, yes, the BBC erred and they need to look at their guidance. But the fact that the BBC is analyzing its processes and the fact that the authorities, as a consequence of this, are looking into this and asking serious questions of what was said, shows that the institutions are actually working.”

Northeastern professor of journalism Dan Kennedy says television broadcasters carrying live performances from major events such as Glastonbury and the Super Bowl halftime show need to be alert to what can go wrong.

“There are risks that something’s going to happen that you don’t want to be on your air,” says Kennedy, who teaches an ethics and issues in journalism course in Boston.

“In the U.S., oftentimes for live events, there’s a seven-second delay. I don’t know whether there was with this [Bob Vylan incident] or not. If there was, it just seems like somebody was asleep at the switch.”

Kennedy argues a distinction should be made between the BBC’s news coverage role during the Israel-Gaza conflict and the broadcaster’s handling of a livestream that would likely have been operated by its entertainment department.

The decision on whether to cut short the Bob Vylan livestream, Kennedy continues, would have been made more difficult for staff due to the fact it was an artist performance that entered into the arena of political commentary.

Those on the ground would have had only seconds to consider whether it was suitable for broadcast, he points out.

“What Bob Vylan was doing was incredibly toxic — it is pure anti-Semitism,” says Kennedy. “But it was also political commentary, so that puts it in kind of a weird gray area. And if there were people back in the booth trying to decide whether this should continue to go out or not, I can see them hesitating and wondering whether they should or not.

“It is really hard to respond in real time. And even if you’ve got seven seconds, that’s not much time to think.”

Society & Culture

Recent Stories

Continue Reading

July 1, 2025
Where to find Academy Tech Lab locations in Fortnite

Finding Fortnite’s Academy Tech Lab locations is a good idea in general, thanks to the loot you can pick up, but you’ll also need to enter them several times to complete one of Chapter 6 Season 3 week 4’s quests. Finding them isn’t enough, though. Clearing the quest also requires you to increase your hero rank first.

Below, we explain where to find Fortnite’s Academy Tech Labs and what to expect inside.

Where to find Academy Tech Labs in Fortnite

The Academy Tech Lab can spawn in a variety of locations around the map, but there is always one guaranteed location — Supernova Academy. The basement of the southeastern building on the Supernova Academy campus counts as an Academy Tech Lab, and, as it’s a POI, will be there every game. In this Academy Tech Lab, you can find the following:

As for the other Academy Tech Labs, their locations can be found on the map. They’re marked on the map by an academy symbol next to a test tube at the beginning of every game.

These labs are underground, and you can enter it via a small staircase that leads you into the side of a drum-shaped structure. Inside, you’ll find the following:

How to increase Hero Rank in Fortnite

To complete the week 4 quest, you’ll need to increase your Hero Rank first and then enter a lab.

You and your squad gain points toward a higher Hero Rank every time you do the following:

We recommend returning a Sprite to a shrine to get a large amount of points in one go or visiting a Scout Spire and defeating henchman as they’re easier to eliminate than other players.

Continue Reading

July 1, 2025
Asteroid Ryugu May Have Experienced Unexpected Heating Events

What minerals within the grain samples from asteroid Ryugu that returned to Earth can teach scientists about this intriguing asteroid and the rest of the solar system? This is what a recent study published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science hopes to address as a team of scientists from academia and research institutions in Japan investigated the source of a rare mineral within the grain samples from asteroid Ryugu. This study has the potential to help scientists better understand not only the formation and evolution of asteroid Ryugu, but of the early solar system.

For the study, the researchers identified the mineral djerfisherite, which contains potassium, iron, and nickel, and surprised the researchers with its appearance as the presence of djerfisherite within Ryugu grains is hypothesized to not be possible due to Rygug’s formation processes. This process included Ryugu forming from a larger planetary body that existed between 1.8 to 2.9 million years after the formation of the solar system, approximately 4.6 billion years ago. Ryugu is hypothesized to have formed in the outer solar system where it’s much colder, whereas djerfisherite is hypothesized to have formed in the inner solar under increased temperatures. Thus, the puzzlement behind its appearance.

Microscopic image of the sample where djerfisherite was found. (Credit: Hiroshima University/Masaaki Miyahara)

Dr. Masaaki Miyahara, who is an associate professor at the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering at Hiroshima University and lead author of the study noted, “The discovery of djerfisherite in a Ryugu grain suggests that materials with very different formation histories may have mixed early in the solar system’s evolution, or that Ryugu experienced localized, chemically heterogeneous conditions not previously recognized. This finding challenges the notion that Ryugu is compositionally uniform and opens new questions about the complexity of primitive asteroids.”

While further research is necessary to better understand the origins of djerfisherite with Ryugu, its presence could unlock additional secrets into the history of the early solar system and how it formed and evolved.

How will asteroid Ryugu continue to teach scientists about the early solar system in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!

As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!

Sources: Meteoritics & Planetary Science, EurekAlert!

Continue Reading

July 1, 2025
Sugar: Plants’ Secret Temperature Regulator

For a decade, scientists have believed that plants sensed temperature mainly through specialized proteins, and mainly at night when the air is cool. New research suggests that during the day, another signal takes over. Sugar, produced in sunlight, helps plants detect heat and decide when to grow.

The study, led by Meng Chen, a University of California, Riverside professor of cell biology, shows that plants rely on multiple heat-sensing systems, and that sugar plays a central and previously unrecognized role in daytime temperature response. The findings, published in Nature Communications, reshape a long-standing view of how plants interact with their environment and could influence future strategies for climate-resilient agriculture.

“Our textbooks say that proteins like phytochrome B and early flowering 3 (ELF3) are the main thermosensors in plants,” Chen said. “But those models are based on nighttime data. We wanted to know what’s happening during the day, when light and temperature are both high because these are the conditions most plants actually experience.”

To investigate, the researchers used Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant favored in genetics labs. They exposed seedlings to a range of temperatures, from 12 to 27 degrees Celsius, under different light conditions, and tracked the elongation of their seedling stems, known as hypocotyls — a classic indicator of growth response to warmth.

They found that phytochrome B, a light-sensing protein, could only detect heat under low light. In bright conditions that mimic midday sunlight, its temperature-sensing function was effectively shut off. Yet, the plants still responded to heat, growing taller even when the thermosensing role of phytochrome B was greatly diminished. That, Chen said, pointed to the presence of other sensors.

One clue came from studies of a phytochrome B mutant lacking its thermosensing function. These mutant plants could respond to warmth only when grown in the light. When grown in the dark, without photosynthesis, they lacked chloroplasts and did not grow taller in response to warmth. But when researchers supplemented the growing medium with sugar, the temperature response returned.

“That’s when we realized sugar wasn’t just fueling growth,” Chen said. “It was acting like a signal, telling the plant that it’s warm.”

Further experiments showed that higher temperatures triggered the breakdown of starch stored in leaves, releasing sucrose. This sugar in turn stabilized a protein known as PIF4, a master regulator of growth. Without sucrose, PIF4 degraded quickly. With it, the protein accumulated but only became active when another sensor, ELF3, also responded to the heat by stepping aside.

“PIF4 needs two things,” Chen explained. “Sugar to stick around, and freedom from repression. Temperature helps provide both.”

The study reveals a nuanced, multi-layered system. During the day, when light is used as the energy source to fix carbon dioxide into sugar, plants also evolved a sugar-based mechanism to sense environmental changes. As temperatures rise, stored starch converts into sugar, which then enables key growth proteins to do their job.

The findings could have practical implications. As climate change drives temperature extremes, understanding how and when plants sense heat could help scientists breed crops that grow more predictably and more resiliently under stress.

“This changes how we think about thermosensing in plants,” Chen said. “It’s not just about proteins flipping on or off. It’s about energy, light, sugar, as well.”

The findings also underscore, once again, the quiet sophistication of the plant world. In the blur of photosynthesis and starch reserves, there’s a hidden intelligence. One that knows, sweetly and precisely, when it’s time to stretch toward the sky.

/Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.

Continue Reading

July 1, 2025
How AI Could Transform Real Estate

Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I’m Ron Kamdem, Head of Morgan Stanley’s U.S. Real Estate Investment Trusts and Commercial Real Estate research. Today I’ll talk about the ways GenAI is disrupting the real estate industry.

It’s Tuesday, July 1st, at 10am in New York.

What if the future of real estate isn’t about location, location, location – but automation, automation, automation?

While it may be too soon to say exactly how AI will affect demand for real estate, what we can say is that it is transforming the business of real estate, namely by making operations more efficient. If you’re a customer dealing with a real estate company, you can now expect to interact with virtual leasing assistants. And when it comes to drafting your lease documents, AI can help you do this in minutes rather than hours – or even days.

In fact, our recent work suggests that GenAI could automate nearly 40 percent of tasks across half a million occupations in the real estate investment trusts industry – or REITs. Indeed, across 162 public REITs and commercial real estate services companies or CRE with $92 billion of total labor costs, the financial impact may be $34 billion, or over 15 percent of operating cash flow. Our proprietary job posting database suggests the top four occupations with automation potential are management – so think about middle management, sales, office and administrative support, and installation maintenance and repairs.

Certain sub-sectors within REITs and CRE services stand to gain more than others. For instance, lodging and resorts, along with brokers and services, and healthcare REITs could see more than 15 percent improvement in operating cash flow due to labor automation. On the other hand, sectors like gaming, triple net, self-storage, malls, even shopping centers might see less than a 5 percent benefit, which suggests a varied impact across the industry.

Brokers and services, in particular, show the highest potential for automation gains, with nearly 34 percent increase in operating cash flow. These companies may be the furthest along in adopting GenAI tools at scale. In our view, they should benefit not only from the labor cost savings but also from enhanced revenue opportunities through productivity improvement and data center transactions facilitated by GenAI tools.

Lodging and resorts have the second highest potential upside from automating occupations, with an estimated 23 percent boost in operating cash flow. The integration of AI in these businesses not only streamline operations but also opens new avenues for return on investments, and mergers and acquisitions.

Some companies are already using AI in their operations. For example, some self-storage companies have integrated AI into their digital platforms, where 85 percent of customer interactions now occur through self-selected digital options. As a result, they have reduced on-property labor hours by about 30 percent through AI-powered staffing optimization. Similarly, some apartment companies have reduced their full-time staff by about 15 percent since 2021 through AI-driven customer interactions and operational efficiencies.

Meanwhile, this increased application of AI is driving new revenue to AI-enablers. Businesses like data centers, specialty, CRE services could see significant upside from the infrastructure buildout from GenAI. Advanced revenue management systems, customer acquisition tools, predictive analytics are just a few areas where GenAI can add value, potentially enhancing the $290 billion of revenue stream in the REIT and CRE services space.

However, the broader economic impact of GenAI on labor markets remains hotly debated. Job growth is the key driver of real estate demand and the impact of AI on the 164 million jobs in the U.S. economy remains to be determined. If significant job losses materialize and the labor force shrinks, then the real estate industry may face top-line pressure with potentially disproportionate impact on office and lodging. While AI-related job losses are legitimate concerns, our economists argue that the productivity effects of GenAI could ultimately lead to net positive job growth, albeit with a significant need for re-skilling.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share Thoughts on the Market with a friend or colleague today.

Continue Reading

July 1, 2025
Fernando Alonso triumphs as heavy rain wreaks havoc at the Nurburgring – 2007 European Grand Prix

To mark F1’s 75th anniversary celebrations, F1.com is counting down the sport’s 25 greatest races with a new feature every week. While you may not agree with the order, we hope you enjoy the stories of these epic races that have helped make this sport what it is today. You can read the introduction to the series and see the list of races here.

At No. 18, Anna Francis recalls the 2007 European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, an event that featured everything from a backmarker leading on their debut, a dramatic Turn 1 pile-up courtesy of treacherous rain and a thrilling late-race duel that sparked quite the fallout after the chequered flag.

As this countdown of F1’s greatest races highlights, a Grand Prix can become a classic for a variety of reasons; perhaps there was a storyline-packed build-up that heightened the tension, or the weather proved unpredictable and an unexpected turn of events unfolded, or maybe the drama continued well after the chequered flag had fallen.

The 2007 European Grand Prix basically ticked off every point on this list. It was an encounter that took place in the middle of a fascinating and closely-fought season, with the Nurburgring playing host to the 10th round of a 17-race calendar – and a race that lives on in the memories of fans 18 years later.

Hamilton crashes in Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton, in his rookie campaign for McLaren, arrived into the weekend as the championship leader – and, given the points system then in play (which awarded the top eight drivers, from 10 points for the winner through to one for P8), he would leave still on top regardless of the result, having built a 12-point advantage over team mate Fernando Alonso.

However, evidently Alonso – who was equal on wins with Hamilton, the pair having taken two apiece – could still cut into Hamilton’s lead if the cards fell in his favour. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen also remained in the mix, sitting third in the standings just six points adrift of Alonso after claiming three victories, while the other red car of Felipe Massa had won twice.

It was Hamilton and Raikkonen who set the pace during the weekend’s practice sessions, but the former’s strong run hit a snag when he suffered a heavy crash in Q3 of Qualifying, the right front tyre on his MP4-22 bursting and sending him into the wall at Turn 8. Team boss Ron Dennis blamed the incident on a faulty wheel gun failing to secure the tyre to the car.

Hamilton was airlifted to hospital for precautionary checks – after reassuringly giving a thumbs-up to the crowd – and his participation in Sunday’s race remained in doubt. Having been unable to continue in the session, the Briton’s original time put him in 10th, while Raikkonen took pole ahead of Alonso and Massa.

After the dust settled on that eventful Saturday, attentions switched to Sunday’s race. Hamilton returned to action and joined the rest of the pack as they lined up for the 60-lap encounter in initially dry conditions – but the weather forecast looked ominous…

Cars pile up as rain arrives – and a surprise leader emerges

While the dark clouds that had gathered over the Nurburgring hinted at imminent rain, the field lined up on slick tyres. Further back, however, Spyker’s Markus Winkelhock – making his F1 debut – pitted for wet tyres at the end of the formation lap, meaning that he would start the race from the pit lane.

Within just a couple of laps, that would prove to be something of a genius call by the backmarker team. Raikkonen had initially led from pole, with Massa following after getting ahead of Alonso, while Hamilton made an impressive start to climb up to sixth by the first corner.

However, a collision between the BMW Sauber cars resulted in Hamilton getting tagged and picking up a puncture, dropping the McLaren backwards. Meanwhile rain had started to fall on some parts of the circuit – prompting the majority of the field to pit at the end of Lap 1 for intermediate tyres.

Raikkonen was one of the few to remain out on track, having missed the pit entry after a mistake in the increasingly tricky conditions. While the Finn made a stop after Lap 2 along with the other cars that had stayed out, Winkelhock had found himself in the lead.

But soon the rain had become even heavier, sparking incredible scenes as car after car aquaplaned off the circuit and into the gravel at Turn 1, where something of a ‘river’ of standing water had formed.

The Safety Car was deployed as the process of recovering a total of five stricken cars began, but it was quickly decided that conditions were too dangerous to continue in, meaning that the race was red flagged.

Order changes at the restart

After around 15 minutes, the drivers prepared to take the restart – with the exception of Jenson Button (Honda), Adrian Sutil (Spyker), Nico Rosberg (Williams), Scott Speed (Toro Rosso) and Vitantonio Liuzzi (Toro Rosso), all of whom had fallen victim to the Turn 1 car park.

Hamilton, meanwhile, had been amongst those to aquaplane off the circuit but, having kept his engine running, his McLaren was hoisted back onto the track by a crane, meaning that he was able to continue on in the race under the regulations then in place.

While the Briton was a lap down at the restart, he was able to unlap himself as the Grand Prix resumed under the Safety Car, before diving into the pits to bolt on slick tyres. It was a gamble that failed to pay off as he soon had another foray off the still-wet track, though again managed to rejoin.

Winkelhock’s moment in the sun also quickly came to an end after a few laps, with the likes of Massa and Alonso soon overtaking him – and things worsened further when his Spyker suffered a hydraulic failure on Lap 15, bringing his eventful sole F1 appearance to an early end.

It soon transpired that Winkelhock would not be the only retiree following the restart, with Ralf Schumacher (Toyota) and Takuma Sato (Super Aguri) each recording a DNF a few laps later – but a ninth and final retirement would prove to be the most significant in terms of the championship fight….

Raikkonen out as Alonso snatches the lead from Massa

While his switch to slick tyres had initially backfired, Hamilton subsequently looked to have strong pace on a track that was drying out, leading other frontrunners to pit for dry tyres. One of the first to do so was Raikkonen, allowing the Finn to haul himself back up to third behind Massa and Alonso.

The Ferrari driver continued to chase down the leaders from there – yet his charge was brought to an abrupt halt when his car was struck by a mechanical issue, forcing him to retire at just over half distance in a blow to his title hopes.

It still seemed as if the Scuderia were on for victory at the Nurburgring, though, thanks to the sister car of Massa, who maintained his lead over Alonso through what had looked to be the final round of pit stops, despite the two-time World Champion slowly closing in.

But the weather gods had not quite finished their day’s work yet. The rain returned as the race entered into its final 10 laps, leading to another flurry of action in the pit lane as the majority of the field headed in for intermediate tyres – with the exception of Hamilton, taking another gamble by remaining out on the slicks.

However, with the downpour showing no signs of abating, Hamilton eventually had to stop, dropping him down to 10th place. Meanwhile, the other McLaren of Alonso was trying to find a way past Massa.

On Lap 56 the move finally came, with Alonso boldly going around the outside at Turn 5 in a sequence that saw the two cars make contact. Further back, team mate Hamilton also gained a position before the end by grabbing P9 from Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella.

As the chequered flag fell on an action-packed afternoon at the Nurburging, Alonso crossed the line to take victory by eight seconds from Massa, while Red Bull’s Mark Webber completed the podium in third. The race might have been over, but there was still more drama to come…

A heated debate after the chequered flag

After the drivers had arrived into parc ferme, Alonso highlighted the damage that he had picked up in his scrap with Massa, directing the television cameras to zoom in on the area of his car affected as he wagged his finger.

The fallout did not end there either; any fans watching that day will doubtless recall the heated debate that ensued between Massa and Alonso before heading out onto the podium, with Massa eventually walking away from the two-time World Champion – who seemed to brush off the argument by smiling at the watching camera and victoriously pumping his fist in the air.

They then proceeded to the rostrum for a slightly tense podium ceremony, with a marked contrast between the jubilant Alonso and a still perturbed Massa – and as if that didn’t make it memorable enough, Michael Schumacher formed part of the ceremony following his retirement just a few months earlier, the seven-time World Champion tasked with handing the Teams’ trophy to former rival Ron Dennis.

Massa later said about his clash with Alonso in the post-race press conference: “I was really surprised when he came to say that I did that on purpose. I would never do something like that on purpose.”

Alonso, meanwhile, suggested he was sorry for the argument as he added: “We touched each other two times [on the track] and I apologise to him because I was so stressed when I finished the race, because we nearly didn’t finish the race.

“I apologise if I said anything to him, because it’s motor racing and it’s a fight. We finished the race, so I don’t want to talk any more about this and I want to enjoy the win.”

With Alonso having closed the gap to just two points to Hamilton in the championship standings, it marked the latest twist in a dramatic season famed for what would become an increasingly tense intra-team battle between the McLaren pair.

Continue Reading

July 1, 2025
Glenmorangie announced as Official Whisky of Formula 1

Glenmorangie has been named as the Official Whisky of Formula 1, with Hollywood icon Harrison Ford helping reveal the partnership ahead of the British Grand Prix this weekend.

The partnership marks the union of two icons, steeped in heritage, dedicated to taking their crafts to new heights and is part of part of the landmark 10-year deal between Formula 1 and LVMH – Glenmorangie’s parent company.

Ford, who plays himself in Glenmorangie’s humorous brand campaign Once Upon a Time in Scotland, marked the partnership in a new short film, and with the same amusing understatement he uses for Glenmorangie’s whisky, blessed the collaboration in a word: “Nice.”

Silverstone, site of the first official Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1950, will host a special Glenmorangie experience showcasing cocktails and the exclusive Eagle Speedster Jaguar E-Type, as used by Ford in the whisky’s brand film.

Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer at Formula 1, said: “As part of our 10-year deal with LVMH, we are delighted to welcome Glenmorangie from the Moët Hennessy Maisons collection as the Official Whisky of Formula 1. We have both been mastering our craft for many years, and we share a commitment to refinement and perfection delivered over time.

“With our mutual respect for tradition, it is absolutely fitting that we are launching our collaboration at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone – the circuit that hosted our first race 75 years ago – and from there around the world for many years to come.”

Caspar MacRae, President and CEO of Glenmorangie, added: “I am thrilled to set in motion Glenmorangie’s landmark partnership with Formula 1 – the pinnacle of motor racing. We share with F1 a great pride in our heritage and an unstoppable desire to reach new heights of excellence.

“We look forward to spectacular performances and imaginative serves and hope our collaboration will inspire and excite racegoers throughout Formula 1’s 75th anniversary year – and beyond.”

Continue Reading

July 1, 2025
Scientists discover a new organelle inside human cells

Cell biology is a world of constant motion and hidden structures. Much of what we know about cells comes from decades of research using microscopes, stains, and models. Yet, even in this well-charted territory, surprises still emerge – enter the “hemifusome.”

This previously unknown organelle may help explain how cells sort, recycle, and discard their internal cargo. This function is vital to life and is often disrupted in instances of genetic disease.

The discovery of this organelle, which was made by scientists at the University of Virginia and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offers a new lens through which to study the inner workings of the cell.

It also presents a possible turning point for understanding diseases where cellular housekeeping breaks down. Using cutting-edge imaging tools, researchers have caught this organelle in action and outlined its potential impact on health and medicine.

Introducing the hemifusome

The hemifusome is not a static component but a temporary structure that appears and disappears depending on the cell’s needs.

It consists of two vesicles joined together by a partial membrane connection called a hemifusion diaphragm.

In this configuration, the vesicles do not fully merge but maintain a shared boundary that allows them to interact without blending entirely.

“This is like discovering a new recycling center inside the cell,” said researcher Seham Ebrahim, Ph.D., of UVA’s Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics.

“We think the hemifusome helps manage how cells package and process material, and when this goes wrong, it may contribute to diseases that affect many systems in the body.”

These hemifused vesicles appear in two configurations. In the direct form, a smaller vesicle is attached to the outer side of a larger one, whereas in the flipped version, the smaller vesicle is embedded on the inner, or luminal, side.

In both cases, a dense particle called a proteolipid nanodroplet anchors the structure at the junction, possibly guiding its formation and stability.

How the hemifusome appears

To study hemifusomes, researchers turned to cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). This imaging method freezes cells rapidly, preserving them close to their natural state.

Unlike traditional electron microscopy, which can distort or destroy delicate structures, cryo-ET allows scientists to see cellular architecture as it truly exists.

By scanning the outer edges of four mammalian cell types, COS-7, HeLa, RAT-1, and NIH/3T3, the team identified hundreds of hemifusomes. These organelles made up nearly 10 percent of all membrane-bound vesicles in those regions.

Cryo-electron tomography observation of hemifused vesicles at the leading edge of cultured cells. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Nature Communications (2025)

Their consistency across cell types suggests they are not rare anomalies but common cellular components.

“You can think of vesicles like little delivery trucks inside the cell,” said Ebrahim, of UVA’s Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology. “The hemifusome is like a loading dock where they connect and transfer cargo. It’s a step in the process we didn’t know existed.”

What makes the hemifusome unique

Hemifusomes stand out not just for their shape, but for what’s inside them. The larger vesicle usually contains granular material, similar to what is seen in endosomes and ribosome-associated vesicles.

But the smaller vesicle shows a smooth, translucent interior. This likely reflects a protein-free or dilute aqueous solution, setting it apart from other vesicles in the cell.

The hemifusion diaphragm itself is unusually large, about 160 nanometers in diameter, far bigger than the 10 nanometer diaphragms seen in standard vesicle fusion events. These extended diaphragms appear stable, not fleeting, suggesting they may be designed to last.

In some cases, the diaphragm grows large enough to engulf the entire smaller vesicle into the larger one’s bilayer, creating a lens-like shape known in simulations as dead-end hemifusion. Seeing this in actual cells challenges the idea that such formations are purely theoretical.

Anchors and architects of the organelle

One consistent feature at the heart of hemifusomes is the dense proteolipid nanodroplet, or PND. About 42 nanometers in diameter, these droplets are lodged at the rim of the hemifusion site.

Their content, lipids and proteins, suggests they may help build or stabilize the hemifused structure.

These PNDs have never been observed in such a role before. Some appear free in the cytoplasm, others are embedded in membranes. Researchers propose that PNDs may serve as scaffolds for assembling new vesicles.

As the PND integrates into a membrane, it may kickstart the formation of the smaller vesicle seen in hemifusomes.

This process, described as de novo vesiculogenesis, stands apart from classical vesicle fusion. The presence of a unique, translucent vesicle and the absence of known docking steps indicate the hemifusome may follow its own assembly path.

Given their location and size, hemifusomes resemble some endosomal structures. To investigate this further, the researchers traced the journey of gold nanoparticles, common markers used to map endocytic activity.

The particles entered known endosomes and lysosomes but never appeared inside hemifusomes. This absence suggests that hemifusomes do not belong to the classical endocytic pathway.

Instead, they may represent a separate system operating independently of the cargo sorting carried out by proteins like ESCRT. This distinction may have wide implications for how we understand vesicle traffic inside cells.

Multivesicular bodies and disease

Some hemifusomes evolve into more complex structures. The study observed compound hemifusomes that contained multiple vesicles, all partially fused.

These could be early versions of multivesicular bodies (MVBs), which cells use to break down and recycle internal material.

In the canonical model, ESCRT proteins form inward buds that eventually pinch off inside a larger vesicle. But in hemifusomes, vesicles grow inward through hemifusion and expand with the help of PNDs.

This alternative route might explain how MVBs form in ways not covered by traditional theories.

One such condition affected by these pathways is Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. It is a genetic disorder marked by defects in pigmentation, lung function, vision, and bleeding. Cellular recycling issues are central to the disease.

Understanding the hemifusome may help explain these disruptions and lead to future treatments.

A new model for vesicle formation

The study proposes a full model where PNDs trigger the formation of translucent vesicles that partially fuse with larger ones, forming hemifusomes.

These structures may then bud inward, transforming into flipped hemifusomes. Over time, they could scission off as free vesicles inside MVBs.

In contrast to the ESCRT system, which requires tight protein coordination, this mechanism relies on structural and biophysical cues.

It also sidesteps the need for large lipid donations from other organelles, solving a long-standing puzzle in vesicle formation research.

“This is just the beginning,” Ebrahim said. “Now that we know hemifusomes exist, we can start asking how they behave in healthy cells and what happens when things go wrong. That could lead us to new strategies for treating complex genetic diseases.”

What comes next

The implications of this discovery stretch far beyond cell biology. By offering a new pathway for how cells build and manage internal compartments, the hemifusome challenges decades of assumptions.

It also invites new thinking about disease, especially conditions where cells fail to manage their waste.

Future research will focus on identifying what proteins guide hemifusome formation and how PNDs are created.

Scientists also want to know if these structures exist in other parts of the cell, not just at the periphery. Advanced imaging tools and genetic models will be key to answering these questions.

In a field where many believed the major organelles were already mapped, the hemifusome serves as a reminder. The cell still holds secrets. And some of them could lead to cures.

The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–

Continue Reading

July 1, 2025