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  • Sticky cell coating boosts liver repair without the need for transplants

    Sticky cell coating boosts liver repair without the need for transplants

    A new process could help to treat liver disease without needing an organ transplant, a new study reveals.

    Hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) can help to repair the liver, but they often don’t stick well to the existing tissue, making treatment less effective.

    Scientists at the University of Birmingham have now developed a method to coat HPCs with natural sugars (polysaccharides) – such as hyaluronic acid and alginate – making the cells ‘stickier’.

    The coated cells showed a significant increase in their ability to stick to liver tissues and other cells – meaning the cells are more likely to stay in place and help repair the liver. The coating does not harm the cells or stop them from working properly. Coated HPCs can still turn into liver cells and perform their functions, like producing important proteins.

    Publishing their findings today (10 July) in Communications Biology, scientists from the University of Birmingham and InSphero AG (Switzerland) outline how the HPCs are coated with polysaccharides using a special technique that doesn’t require modifying their genes.

    Liver transplants are the only option for many severe liver diseases, but there aren’t enough donor livers available. This new method could provide an alternative by making cell therapy more effective, potentially helping many people with liver disease.”


    Dr. Maria Chiara Arno, Lead Author from the University of Birmingham

    Researchers used a technique called metabolic oligosaccharide engineering (MOE) to coat the cells, which were tested – in lab conditions mimicking the human body – on various surfaces, including liver microtissues and endothelial cells, which line blood vessels. The coated HPCs demonstrated a much higher adhesion rate to liver microtissues and other cells compared to uncoated cells.

    This study reveals that hyaluronic acid -coated cells spread out more and formed structures that help them stick. Moreover, coating cells increased their levels of certain proteins (integrins) that help cells attach and sense their environment. Importantly, these coatings were temporary, lasting just long enough to help the cells settle in after transplantation, without interfering with their normal functions.

    “Our approach avoids genetic modification, making it easier to use in the clinic,” added Dr Arno. “We believe this method could be adapted for other cell types and are planning further studies explore its impact on cell health and immune responses.”

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    Alipio, A. R., et al. (2025). Sweet and sticky: increased cell adhesion through click-mediated functionalization of regenerative liver progenitor cells. Communications Biology. doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08408-x.

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  • South Africa captain who sacrificed chance to beat Brian Lara’s iconic Test record reveals what the West Indies great told him after bizarre declaration

    South Africa captain who sacrificed chance to beat Brian Lara’s iconic Test record reveals what the West Indies great told him after bizarre declaration

    By LEWIS BROWNING

    Published: | Updated:

    South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder has revealed he spoke to Brian Lara after opting against breaking the batting great’s Test record.

    Mulder opted to bring an end to his innings 33 runs shy of Lara’s landmark as his side posted 626 for five against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

    His surprising decision not to continue was immediately vindicated as Codi Yusuf had Takudzwanashe Kaitano caught behind off the first ball of the innings. Zimbabwe were all out for 170, with Mulder taking two for 20 in his six-over spell.

    Mulder’s declaration left West Indies great Lara as the only quadruple centurion in a Test innings, against England in Antigua in 2004, but he insisted he had no regrets.

    His side went onto win the game comfortably, with Zimbabwe bowled out for 170 and then 220, losing by a mammoth innings and 236 runs.

    Now, though, Mulder has revealed he chatted to Lara after the game – and was told by the man himself that he should have gone onto surpass his record.

    South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder has revealed what Brian Lara told him after he rejected the chance to break his record 

    Lara's record of 400 still stands - here the West Indies legend is seen celebrating his iconic innings against England in 2004 at the Recreation Ground

    Lara’s record of 400 still stands – here the West Indies legend is seen celebrating his iconic innings against England in 2004 at the Recreation Ground

    ‘I’ve chatted a little bit to Brian Lara,’ Mulder said. ‘He said to me I’m creating my own legacy and I should have gone for it.

    ‘He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I’m ever in that position again I go and score more than what he had.

    ‘It’s super special and not something I would have dreamt of. That was an interesting point of view from his side, but I still believe I did the right thing and respecting the game is the most important part for me.’

    Mulder had initially claimed that the record should have been held by someone like Lara rather than himself.

    He said: ‘First thing’s first, we had enough to bowl.

    ‘Brian Lara is a legend. He got 400 or 401 or something against England and for someone to keep that record, it is special.

    ‘I spoke to Shuks (head coach Shukri Conrad) – and spoke about letting the legends keep (that record). Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.’

    He added: ‘To be honest, I have never even dreamt of getting a double hundred, let alone a triple hundred, (but) most importantly, it has put the team in a good position to win this Test.’

    Mulder declared his side's innings 33 runs shy of the all-time most runs in an innings

    Mulder declared his side’s innings 33 runs shy of the all-time most runs in an innings

    Lara also made 375 against England in Antigua a decade before his 2004 feat. That mark was beaten by Matthew Hayden’s 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in 2003, only for Lara to reclaim top spot six months later.

    Mahela Jayawardene made 374 for Sri Lanka against the Proteas in 2006, with Mulder passing Sir Garry Sobers’ 365 not out for the West Indies against Pakistan in 1958 for fifth place on the all-time list.

    His innings was a South African record, comfortably surpassing Hashim Amla’s unbeaten 311 against England in 2012 which was their only previous triple century.

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  • The mediating role of resilience in the relationships between posttraumatic growth and depression as well as anxiety among survivors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a cross-sectional study | BMC Psychology

    The mediating role of resilience in the relationships between posttraumatic growth and depression as well as anxiety among survivors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a cross-sectional study | BMC Psychology

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  • Prince William’s Concerns About Meghan Markle’s Intentions Confirmed by Royal Insider

    Prince William’s Concerns About Meghan Markle’s Intentions Confirmed by Royal Insider

    Prince William reportedly harbored doubts about Meghan Markle’s intentions when she married his younger brother, Prince Harry. According to royal biographer Phil Dampier, the Prince of Wales believed that Meghan saw her marriage to Harry as a way to gain fame and wealth, using him as a “steppingstone” to a more lucrative and public life. Dampier’s comments come after the late Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, suggested that the monarch was apprehensive about Markle’s motivations.

    Dampier stated that he had long suspected Meghan’s primary goal was not long-term commitment to royal life but rather to elevate her public profile. “I think, unfortunately, that confirms what I’ve been saying or thought for the last few years, that Meghan never really had any intention of staying in the royal family,” Dampier said, referencing Anson’s remarks. He claimed that this view fueled the growing tension between Prince William and Meghan.

    Tensions Between the Brothers and the Royal Family

    The strained relationship between Prince Harry and his family, particularly with William and their father, King Charles III, has been ongoing since Harry stepped down from his royal duties in 2020 and relocated to North America. The situation worsened when Harry and Meghan accused the royal family of racism and released a Netflix series about their personal struggles.

    Harry’s memoir, Spare, further escalated the tension by claiming that William physically attacked him over Markle. Despite these challenges, Harry expressed in May 2023 his willingness to reconcile with his family. However, he admitted that some members of the royal family might never forgive him for past actions, particularly regarding his departure from royal life and the subsequent security issues.

    Harry’s Hope for Reconciliation

    In an interview, Harry acknowledged the personal rifts within the family, particularly with his father, and expressed hope for reconciliation. “There have been so many disagreements, differences, between me and some of my family,” Harry shared. “It would be nice to reconcile,” he added, noting that the dispute over his security was a significant factor in the ongoing tension.

    Harry also mentioned his concern over his father’s health, given King Charles’s cancer diagnosis, and his desire to repair the fractured relationships before it’s too late.

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  • Lady Gaga declares Doechii possesses THIS rare quality from day one

    Lady Gaga declares Doechii possesses THIS rare quality from day one

    Lady Gaga gives rare praise to Doechii’s music

    Lady Gaga did not hold back her admiration as she called Doechii’s music “immediately legendary.”

    The 39-year-old American singer-songwriter and actress sang praises of the 26-year-old American rapper and singer months after she gave the Abracadabra hitmaker the Innovator Award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles.

    In the British Vogue cover story, which was published on Thursday, July 10, Gaga expressed her feelings for Doechii by saying, “You don’t often see someone come out of the gate with a pen that feels immediately legendary. That’s Doechii to me.”

    The Oscar winner went on to reveal that she “fell in love” with the Oh The Places You’ll Go crooner’s music and “her raw, deeply personal perspective.”

    “The power in her words, her vulnerability, the way she rhymes with this wild mix of audacity and emotional precision – it struck me to the core,” Gaga remarked with an admission.

    For those unversed, Doechii handed the Mayhem songstress the Innovator Award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards in March this year.

    During her introduction for Gaga, the 14-time Grammy winner, she quipped, “Growing up, I was nothing like most of the people I was around and everything about me represented a community of alternative kids that were under-represented in my environment.”

    “I was considered weird, but it’s OK, because things worked out. As a kid that identified as an artist, as queer, and as a Little Monster, Lady Gaga wasn’t just a pop star, she was a lifeline. Gaga taught us that it was OK to be our real selves, to try new things, to try anything, to speak out, and to create,” Doechii said.


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  • Jamie Dimon tells Europe: ‘You’re losing’

    Jamie Dimon tells Europe: ‘You’re losing’

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    JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon warned European leaders they have a competitiveness problem and that they are currently “losing” the battle to rival the US and China. 

    “Europe has gone from 90 per cent US GDP to 65 per cent over 10 or 15 years. That’s not good,” Dimon said at an event in Dublin organised by the Irish foreign ministry. “You’re losing.” 

    The comments from Dimon, one of the most influential voices in global finance, underscores the challenges facing the EU as it battles to invigorate its economy.

    Mario Draghi, the continent’s former top central banker, last year demanded a new industrial strategy for Europe with annual investment of €800bn to maintain competitiveness with the US and China.

    “We’ve got this huge strong market and our companies are big and successful, have huge kinds of scale that are global. You have that, but less and less,” Dimon said.

    It is an even blunter message from Dimon than he made in his most recent annual shareholder meeting in April, where he said “Europe has some serious issues to fix”, and urged European nations to “significantly reform their economies so they can grow”. 

    Dimon, who has run JPMorgan since 2006, also warned that financial markets had become too relaxed about Donald Trump’s repeated threat of tariffs.

    Investors on Thursday brushed off the US president’s latest threat of a 50 per cent tariff on copper, 200 per cent tariffs on the pharmaceutical sector and levies on countries including Japan and South Korea.

    “Unfortunately, I think there is complacency in the market,” Dimon said. 

    He said Trump had so far been correct in backing down from his biggest threats on tariffs, invoking the so-called Taco trade based on the premise that “Trump always chickens out”. 

    “I hate to use the word ‘Taco trade” because I think he did the right thing to chicken out,” Dimon said.

    Dimon saw trouble ahead for Trump if the economy struggled. “I think if the [US] economy weakens at all, he’s going to have a tough time.”

    But he also blasted the opposition Democrats, saying: “What were they thinking in their wokeness?” He also called Zohran Mamdani — who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York, where JPMorgan has its headquarters — a “Marxist”.

    Dimon said worrying about whether Trump would seek a third term would be “premature”. US presidents are limited to two terms.

    However, the JPMorgan boss said he thought the vice-president, JD Vance, would not agree to any deal in which he headlined the ticket alongside Trump: “He’ll say, ‘Hey buddy, get in the basement. You’ve had your day in the sun!’”

    But Dimon said Trump may eventually prefer his son Eric as a candidate. Despite saying he harboured no political aspirations, Dimon said: “If he did [that], I might consider it too.”

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  • Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag sells for £7m at Sotheby’s auction

    Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag sells for £7m at Sotheby’s auction

    Ian Youngs

    Culture reporter

    Getty Images A back leather bag in a display case in front of a display manel saying "The original Birkin"Getty Images

    Jane Birkin owned the original bag and lent her name to all that followed

    The original Birkin bag, which set the template for arguably the most coveted accessory in fashion history, has been bought for €8.6m (£7.4m; $10.1m), becoming the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction.

    The black leather bag was made for singer Jane Birkin in 1985 after she spilled her belongings while sitting next to the boss of luxury fashion house Hermès on a flight.

    She asked why they didn’t make bigger bags, so he sketched out the design for a new, more practical but still highly desirable item on the aeroplane’s sick bag.

    The prototype he made was sold to a private collector from Japan at Sotheby’s in Paris on Thursday, far surpassing the $513,000 (£378,000; €439,000) previous record sale.

    Getty Images Jane Birkin walking and talking with French director Bertrand Tavernier, with the bag under one armGetty Images

    Birkin owned and used the bag for a decade before donating it to charity

    The auction house said there was an “electrifying” 10-minute bidding war between “nine determined collectors”.

    Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, said the price was a “startling demonstration of the power of a legend and its capacity to ignite the passion and desire of collectors seeking exceptional items with unique provenance, to own its origin”.

    She added: “The Birkin prototype is exactly that, the starting point of an extraordinary story that has given us a modern icon, the Birkin bag, the most coveted handbag in the world.”

    The €8,582,500 total includes commission and fees. Sotheby’s did not publish a pre-auction estimate.

    After creating the bag for the Anglo-French singer and actress, Hermès put the bag into commercial production, and it remains one of the most exclusive status symbols in fashion.

    Some styles cost many tens of thousands of dollars and have waiting lists of years, with owners including celebrities like Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Lopez.

    The original has some unique features, such as Birkin’s initials on the front flap, a non-removable shoulder strap, the nail clippers she kept attached to the strap, and marks where she put stickers for causes she supported, such as Médecins du Monde and Unicef.

    Birkin, who died in 2023 at the age of 76, owned the original bag for a decade and donated it to an auction to raise funds for an Aids charity in 1994.

    It was later bought by Catherine Benier, who has a luxury boutique in Paris, who owned it for 25 years before selling it on Thursday.

    Sotheby’s said the previous record price for a handbag was set by a White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Retourne Kelly 28 in 2021.

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  • New molecule linked to muscle loss in people with type 2 diabetes

    New molecule linked to muscle loss in people with type 2 diabetes

    Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a previously unknown molecule that may explain why people with type 2 diabetes often suffer from muscle weakness and muscle loss – a condition that has a major impact on quality of life and overall health.

    In the new study, published in Sciences Advances, researchers have identified a previously unknown molecule, TMEM9B-AS1, which may explain why people with type 2 diabetes often suffer from muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass. The molecule is a long non-coding RNA that plays an important role in regulating cellular functions.

    The researchers discovered that TMEM9B-AS1 is significantly reduced in skeletal muscles in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and its absence disrupts the machinery needed to build new muscle proteins.

    Our study shows that TMEM9B-AS1 supports the stability of MYC, a key gene that drives the production of ribosomes – the factories that manufacture proteins. Without this RNA molecule, MYC becomes unstable, and muscle cells lose their ability to maintain normal protein production. This may help explain the muscle deterioration we often see in people with metabolic diseases.”


    Ilke Sen, first author, affiliated researcher at the Department of physiology and parmacologypharmacology, Karolinska Institutet

    The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Mondor Institute for Biomedical Research in Paris, France, and the University of Innlandet, Lillehammer, Norway. 

     

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    Sen, I., et al. (2025). Down-regulation of human-specific lncRNA TMEM9B-AS1 in skeletal muscle of people with type 2 diabetes affects ribosomal biogenesis. Science Advances. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads4371.

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  • Finding all Texas flood victims could take months. Here’s why : NPR

    Finding all Texas flood victims could take months. Here’s why : NPR

    Search crews from Oklahoma Task Force One look for missing flood victims in Center Point Texas on Thursday, July 10.

    Ashley Landis/AP


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    Ashley Landis/AP

    It could take weeks — or even months — to locate the more than 160 people believed to be missing after the deadly floods in Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, according to an Army lieutenant general who led the military response to Hurricane Katrina.

    Officials have not found any survivors of the Texas Hill Country floods since July 4. Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged that search efforts will continue until every missing person is found.

    But the thousands of officials and volunteers scouring the flood-affected zone are bound to run into challenges posed by the wreckage and the current environmental conditions, retired Army Lieutenant Gen. Russel L. Honoré told Morning Edition. 

    Honoré led the effort to bring military relief to New Orleans after Katrina in 2005 and has spent years working on disaster recovery operations.

    Search efforts can be painstakingly slow because piled up debris has to be carefully removed, Honoré said.

    “It’s not like bringing the excavator in and start moving debris. You’ve got to take it off a piece at a time and respect that that might be a person under the next piece of wood you’re picking up,” Honoré said. Rain that fell after the initial devastating flooding also slowed search efforts.

    Wrecked vehicles and trailers along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas.

    On Wednesday, the Kerville Police Department asked volunteers on social media to not use heavy equipment to tear down large pieces of debris “due to the possibility that a victim could be inside.”

    Honoré spoke to NPR’s A Martínez about why search efforts after a disaster can be so challenging and his experience leading efforts after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

    A Martínez: General, based on what you’re seeing and hearing out of Texas, how challenging would the conditions be right now for these teams?

    Honoré: They are working on the riverbanks and in the river in enormous heat. So it’s a big challenge because the debris that’s moved by the rapids in the water gets piled up. And that’s why they’re finding the remains that have been found in recent days. It’s very difficult work. And the people that are saving the day are the volunteers, some 2,000 volunteers on top of the state officials that are out there.

    Search crews from Oklahoma Task Force One look for missing flood victims in Center Point Texas on Thursday, July 10.

    Search crews from Oklahoma Task Force One look for missing flood victims in Center Point Texas on Thursday, July 10.

    Ashley Landis/AP


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    Ashley Landis/AP

    Martínez: As awful as this might be to even imagine, when it’s rushing water, it can take people. And in this case, if we’re looking for bodies, water can take them away from where they would normally be or where they would normally live, sometimes even miles. Could that be one of the reasons why the number of people still missing is so high days after the flooding?

    Honoré: There have been reports of people being found 12 miles from where they were. And even further. So the water has a tremendous impact on where you look and when you look. It’s a very difficult task to accomplish. We’re blessed by the volunteers working with all the first responders, and they’re using every piece of technology available to include cadaver dogs, which makes them very exhausted in the heat and working around the water. So they’ve got a lot of boots on the ground now. And this is going to be long, arduous work to find all the remains. And the governor has committed to finding everyone. And that’s going to take weeks, if not months. We were still finding remains after Katrina, a month or two months after the flood.

    Imgram dam after flash flood in Texas

    Martínez: So, general, if teams do indeed find remains, what happens after that?

    Honoré: Then they call in the emergency response people to come and document that. So they use body bags and then they go take them to a holding area. Then they have to identify who the person is. And that goes into, in some cases, using DNA. Taking DNA from the remains and posting that, and people that have relatives missing that have been asked to provide their DNA because it may not be recognizable. And we did that for several months after Katrina to identify remains.

    This digital article was edited by Kelley Dickens. The radio story was edited by Mohamad ElBardicy.

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  • Nicole Scherzinger on Filming With Liam Payne for ‘Building the Band’

    Nicole Scherzinger on Filming With Liam Payne for ‘Building the Band’

    Nicole Scherzinger, mentor and judge on Netflix‘s new reality show Building the Band, is opening up about filming with Liam Payne before the singer’s tragic death last year.

    The Pussycat Dolls singer was one of the creative brains behind One Direction during her time as a judge on the U.K. X-Factor, helping to put together the group that catapulted Payne and fellow band members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan to global stardom in 2010.

    Scherzinger spoke to Billboard about filming the Netflix contest — where 50 musicians form six bands without ever seeing each other — alongside host AJ McLean, Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland and Payne.

    The British musician died aged 31 after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 16 in 2024. In a story published Thursday, Scherzinger reflected on her time spent seeing Payne’s rise to fame on the X-Factor and how much he appeared to enjoy shooting Building the Band.

    “I thought it was so beautiful to see the journey, to see Liam come full circle,” Scherzinger said. “Especially my relationship with him, having helped form the band One Direction and then see him have such wildly, phenomenal global success with One Direction and with his solo career … [to see him] mentor these bands, it was really beautiful.

    “I saw the joy it brought to Liam. I felt that this was his happy place. Like myself, AJ and Kelly, we’ve lived this. We’ve learned it.”

    She continued: “To be able to bestow any inspiration and knowledge and wisdom and experience on any of these contestants and these bands, it brought us all joy. Particularly Liam. I felt this really inspired him and this was his happy place. This was his happy place because Liam was such a beautiful heart, and he loved to give back. He loved to help.”

    Following Payne’s untimely death, the show’s producers and the star’s grieving family weighed Payne’s inclusion in the series. Ultimately, with his family’s consent, they decided to move forward.

    Episodes of Building the Band began rolling out in groups, starting with the first four, from Wednesday, Jul. 9. Scherzinger said about the format: “It doesn’t get any more real than having a band put themselves together without any record execs or labels telling them what they have to do, what they have to look like.

    “That doesn’t work anymore,” she added. “That’s the old formula.”

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