Scientists left this farm field alone. Thousands of orchids appeared

 Research led by Professor Carl Sayer at UCL Geography has found that abandoned farmland can recover naturally and develop into a diverse wildflower meadow, raising questions about some conventional methods used in habitat restoration.

Published in Restoration Ecology, the research followed changes in plant life over 11 years (2011-2022) in a two-hectare field in North Norfolk. Farming at the site ended after its final crop in 2005. Aside from a traditional annual hay cut, the field was largely allowed to recover without intervention.

Farmland Transforms Into a Wildflower Meadow

Within 10-15 years, the former arable field had developed into a species-rich wildflower meadow. The number and variety of plants increased over time, including locally rare species such as southern marsh orchid, greater tussock-sedge, yellow rattle and common centaury.

The results call into question the common assumption that restoring species-rich grassland necessarily requires commercial seed mixes or other expensive measures. Instead, the researchers suggest that allowing natural ecological processes to unfold can restore biodiversity while also preserving the genetic diversity of plants already adapted to the local area.

Carl Sayer, Professor of Limnology and Freshwater Ecology, said, "Our study shows that resisting seeding and allowing nature to lead may be worth trying a lot more in wildflower meadow restoration. Natural plant recovery better safeguards genetic diversity than seeding and ensures that local species thrive, making meadows less generic. As things stand the UK needs nature recovery fast, at big scales. In the push to achieve this goal our study poses the question: should we be employing patience over seed packet more often?"

The findings arrive as governments throughout the UK and Europe search for effective ways to restore biodiversity across large areas of former farmland. Species-rich grasslands offer important habitat for pollinating insects, birds and mammals. They can also strengthen ecosystem resilience and help landscapes adapt to climate change.

Tracking Natural Meadow Recovery Over 11 Years

Long-term ecological studies examining the natural restoration of grasslands are uncommon because they depend on consistent monitoring over many years.

The study focused on Sayer's Meadow in Bodham, North Norfolk. The land is owned by Professor Sayer's father and co-author Derek Sayer. Every two to three years, Professor Sayer and collaborator Pete Robinson conducted detailed vegetation surveys. They recorded every plant species identified across the meadow and tracked changes within permanent survey plots.

During the study period, the average number of plant species found in each survey plot doubled. The figure rose from about 10 species in 2011 to nearly 20 by 2022.

As the meadow developed, thousands of orchids became established naturally. Populations of yellow rattle also increased. Both are considered indicators of successful meadow restoration.

Wildlife May Have Helped Plants Return

The researchers think some of the site's more unusual plants may have arrived without human assistance, possibly carried or dispersed by wildlife such as deer. Their appearance highlights the ability of landscapes to regenerate when natural ecological processes are given enough time to operate.

Reflecting on the project, Professor Sayer said:

"The field belongs to my family, and after an oilseed rape crop in 2005 we stopped farming it as the land was difficult to drain. I really wanted a wildflower meadow and all advice was to seed it, but I resisted the temptation, as I have always been interested in nature's ability to recover itself.

"When the first orchids started appearing in our surveys, we were thrilled and now the meadow is unbelievably diverse, with thousands of orchids that delight locals in the village. Our study shows what can be achieved by a traditional hay cutting approach combined with nature's brilliant spontaneity. A visit to the meadow is like stepping back through time."

A Simpler Approach to Biodiversity Restoration

The research shows how geographical studies can help shape practical strategies for restoring damaged landscapes. It provides evidence that nature-led recovery could contribute significantly to biodiversity restoration goals while lowering both the cost and complexity associated with bringing degraded land back to ecological health.

Source: ScienceDaily

190-year-old DNA reveals a hidden pangolin species

 Pangolins look almost prehistoric. These medium-sized mammals, found only in Africa and Asia, have long, powerful tails, large curved claws, and bodies covered in overlapping scales that resemble a pinecone. Those distinctive scales are also a major reason pangolins are in danger. They are heavily targeted by poachers and are considered the most highly trafficked mammals in the world, leaving many species at serious risk of extinction.

Now, researchers have confirmed that a previously unrecognized Asian pangolin species, Manis aurita, has been living in Nepal and Northern India. The findings, published in Communications Biology, clarify how different pangolin species are related, where they live, and how they can be distinguished. That information could also help authorities identify where illegally traded pangolins are being hunted and strengthen efforts to stop poaching.

"We can't protect what we do not know, and now that we have confirmed that this other species of pangolin exists, we can use that information to help protect these endangered animals," says Anderson Feijó, the Negaunee Assistant Curator of Mammals at the Field Museum and co-corresponding author of the study.

"This finding marks the culmination of more than five years of research that began in Nepal, where we first documented evidence suggesting that Himalayan pangolins represented a distinct evolutionary lineage," says Narayan Koju, a researcher at the Nepal Engineering College at Pokhara University and the study's first author. "The confirmation of Manis aurita as a valid species demonstrates the importance of long-term research, international collaboration, and museum collections. Most importantly, it provides a strong scientific basis for conservation planning, wildlife forensics, and efforts to protect one of the world's most trafficked mammals from extinction."

Untangling the Pangolin Family Tree

The classification of these Himalayan pangolins had already begun to change in 2025. That year, another research team determined that animals previously grouped together as Chinese pangolins actually represented two species. One occurs mainly in China, while the other inhabits the Himalayan foothills across parts of Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The researchers named the mountain-dwelling form Manis indoburmanica, or the Indo-Burmese pangolin.

But scientific naming follows a rule of priority: when the same species has been given more than one scientific name, the earliest valid name takes precedence.

At the time, Feijó and his colleagues were already conducting a decade-long investigation into pangolin evolution. Their work combined DNA evidence with physical characteristics to determine how many pangolin species exist and how those species are related.

During that research, they encountered records of Manis aurita, a pangolin described in 1836. Over time, M. aurita had been reclassified as a subspecies of the Chinese pangolin.

"This left us with a core taxonomic riddle: what is the relationship between indoburmanica and aurita? Are they the same species or different species?" says Kai He, another of the paper's co-corresponding authors and a researcher at the South China Biodiversity Research Center at Guangzhou University. "The ultimate, most thrilling piece of the puzzle came from the Natural History Museum in London. Thanks to their incredible expertise and assistance, the NHM team successfully sequenced the DNA directly from the historical type specimen of the Nepalese subspecies (aurita). This specimen dates back to 1836, making it nearly 190 years old."

DNA From 1836 Provides the Answer

Genetic material recovered from the historic museum specimen settled the question. Modern Himalayan pangolin samples matched aurita, showing that the animals described in 2025 as M. indoburmanica were actually members of the species first named M. aurita.

As a result, M. aurita is the correct scientific name.

"This taxonomic clarification provides a crucial scientific basis for combating illegal poaching and lays the groundwork for protecting this cryptic endangered species," says Yan Hua, a co-corresponding author of the study and researcher at the Guangdong Academy of Forestry.

The Himalayan pangolin M. aurita (briefly formerly known as M. indoburmanica) differs from the Chinese pangolin in several subtle but important ways.

"Compared to the Chinese pangolin, the Himalayan pangolin has a bigger body, a longer tail, and smaller ears," says Feijó. The revived name aurita itself refers to the animal's distinctive ears.

The two species are also separated geographically. Their known ranges do not overlap. For critically endangered animals, especially those facing intense pressure from poaching, understanding exactly which species lives where can be essential for conservation.

Source: ScienceDaily

Dogs may hold surprising clues to human longevity

 Dogs and humans may share some of the same biological patterns tied to lifespan, according to new research from the Dog Aging Project. The finding could give scientists a useful new way to investigate how aging works in both species.

In a study recently published in The Journals of Gerontology, researchers examined metabolites, small chemicals and molecules created during normal processes in the body. They found that certain combinations of these metabolites were associated with earlier or later death in dogs in ways that closely resembled patterns previously identified in humans.

"The molecules that are risky for dogs or protective against a sooner death are very similar to those in people, showing that we share important features of aging biology, which is really interesting and rewarding," said Dr. Kate Creevy, chief veterinary officer for the Dog Aging Project and a professor in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where the work of the Dog Aging Project is generously supported by the WoodNext Foundation. "Our findings also highlight the value of pet dogs as a model for studying long-term health and lifespan."

Searching for Biological Signs of Lifespan

Metabolites can provide a snapshot of what is happening inside cells, making them useful for detecting biological patterns that may be connected to health and aging.

For the study, researchers analyzed blood samples from dogs participating in the Dog Aging Project. This community science effort follows dogs throughout their lives, with owners contributing detailed survey information and, in some cases, physical samples. The research team examined the blood for metabolic patterns associated with lifespan, focusing specifically on whether individual dogs died earlier or later.

"Death is an easy outcome to understand," Creevy said. "It is very easy to tell when a person or a dog has died, whereas other features of aging health are a bit more nuanced."

Using mortality as a clear endpoint allows scientists to work backward and investigate which biological processes may have contributed to the outcome. These processes can include metabolism, inflammation and the ways cells react to stress.

"If we understand why something happened, we have a greater chance of identifying ways to change it," Creevy said.

A Metabolic Fingerprint of Aging

Rather than focusing on individual molecules, the researchers analyzed thousands of metabolites together to look for larger patterns associated with risk. Creevy said these broader groups can reveal more about what may be taking place inside cells than any single molecule alone.

"Some of my colleagues refer to it as a fingerprint," Creevy said. "We often look at a pattern or grouping that has a relationship with better or worse outcomes rather than just looking at a single molecule."

These measurable biological indicators, known as biomarkers, can help researchers estimate the likelihood of certain health outcomes by revealing changes occurring inside the body.

"Importantly, those biomarkers do not necessarily cause an outcome; when we find a biomarker associated with sooner or later mortality, we don't know that it's causing it," Creevy said. "But if we understand why that biomarker is present, we may be able to identify what the cause of the relationship is."

Finding these recurring patterns gives scientists possible starting points for investigating the mechanisms behind aging and, eventually, identifying biological targets that might help improve health over time.

Dogs and Humans Share Similar Aging Signals

The researchers then asked whether the metabolic patterns seen in dogs also appeared in people. To find out, they compared their results with five large published studies of human mortality that used similar methods to examine metabolites.

Across those studies, the signals associated with earlier or later death were broadly similar to those found in dogs.

That consistency was one of the most striking results, adding evidence that dogs and humans share important features of the biology that underlies aging.

"Frequently, we know a little more about this in people than we do in dogs," Creevy said. "If we have the same targets, we'll be able to leverage human research to benefit dogs."

The similarities could allow scientists to use knowledge already gained from human research to improve canine health, while also using dogs to study how aging develops across an entire lifespan.

Why Dogs Are Valuable for Aging Research

Pet dogs offer several advantages for researchers studying aging. They share many parts of everyday life with humans, including their surroundings, diets and activity patterns. That overlap gives scientists an opportunity to examine how lifestyle and environment affect long-term health.

"One of the things we like most about learning from dogs as it pertains to aging is their widely varied lifestyles that mirror their owners' lifestyles in a way that's less true for other companion animals," Creevy said.

Cats, for example, often live more independent and relatively consistent lifestyles. Dogs are more likely to follow the routines, environments and activity patterns of the people they live with.

Their shorter lifespans provide another major advantage. Humans, on average, live into their 70s, while dogs typically live only 12-13 years. That difference allows researchers to observe aging and lifespan outcomes in dogs much more quickly than would be possible in human studies.

Inside the Dog Aging Project

The research was made possible by the Dog Aging Project, a nationwide, long-term study that follows pet dogs living with owners across the United States.

Owners who participate provide extensive information about their dogs' lives, while a subset also submit biological samples each year. Together, those contributions allow researchers to track changes in health and aging over time.

"The owners who enroll their dogs make everything possible," Creevy said. "The dedication and commitment of these owners to participate in research and discovery to better the health of dogs is remarkable."

Creevy said the latest findings are an early but important step toward understanding the mechanisms that influence aging. Researchers have now identified metabolic patterns associated with lifespan, giving them specific biological signals to investigate further.

"This is a starting point," she said. "We've identified these metabolites, and now we know where to start looking."

For people who own dogs, Creevy said the practical message is straightforward. Many of the same behaviors that promote healthier aging in people are also likely to benefit dogs.

"Keeping them on a healthy diet, at a healthy body weight, and preserving mobility and cognitive health -- just like we would do for ourselves," Creevy said. "What's good for us is probably good for them."

Source: ScienceDaily

Scientists solve the mystery of a brain “switch” that can trigger weight loss in opposite ways

 Cambridge researchers have uncovered why both activating and blocking the same brain receptor can promote weight loss. The findings may help scientists develop obesity treatments that are more effective and potentially work better in combination.

The mouse study, published in Nature Metabolism, found that the outcome depends on which part of the brain is targeted. Activating the receptor in the brainstem reduced appetite, while blocking the same receptor in the hypothalamus produced a similar weight loss effect through a different mechanism.

More than a billion people around the world are living with obesity, a condition that raises the risk of diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Losing weight can reduce some of these risks, but achieving substantial weight loss through diet and exercise alone can be difficult.

How Modern Weight Loss Drugs Target the Brain

A new generation of weight loss medications has emerged in recent years that act on specific receptors involved in appetite. By influencing these receptors, the drugs can reduce food intake, promote weight loss, and help regulate blood sugar.

Several widely used medications, including Wegovy and Ozempic, activate a protein receptor called the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R).

Other obesity treatments act on both GLP-1R and another receptor known as the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR). This second target has presented scientists with an unusual puzzle.

Some medications, including Mounjaro and Zepbound, activate GIPR. Others, such as MariTide, block it. Despite producing opposite effects on the same receptor, both approaches can help promote weight loss.

Researchers at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, set out to understand why. Their experiments in mice revealed that the two types of GIPR drugs work through different regions of the brain. The researchers also found that these approaches can increase weight loss when paired with certain GLP-1-based weight loss medicines.

Tracking GIPR Activity in Different Brain Regions

To identify the brain regions responsible for these effects, the team used genetically engineered mice in which GIPR had been selectively removed from specific areas.

One group lacked GIPR in the brainstem, the region at the base of the brain just above the spinal cord that is involved in appetite and nausea. Another group lacked the receptor in the hypothalamus, an important brain region involved in regulating hunger and body weight. A third group consisted of normal, unmodified mice that served as controls.

Source: ScienceDaily

Scientists uncover the hidden nerve network fueling breast cancer

 New research from the University of Oklahoma has revealed how an aggressive type of breast cancer can manipulate the immune system to draw nerves into tumors, creating conditions that may help the cancer grow.

Scientists have known for years that many solid tumors contain extensive nerve networks. What has been less clear is how those nerves enter the tumor in the first place. The new study, published in Cell Death & Differentiation, provides an explanation for this process in triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly difficult form of the disease to treat.

Immune Cells Help Draw Nerves Into Tumors

The researchers discovered that tumors attract macrophages, a type of immune cell that normally helps the body fight infections and repair damaged tissue. After entering the tumor, these macrophages release brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that encourages nearby nerves to grow toward and into the cancer.

BDNF is most widely known for supporting the growth and survival of nerve cells in the brain. In breast cancer, however, the researchers found that tumors can take advantage of this same biological signal. By prompting nerve growth inside the tumor, the process may contribute to cancer progression and resistance to treatment.

"Macrophages are the critical source for drawing nerves into the tumor. Although macrophages typically play a positive role in the body, they are facilitating a negative function in this scenario of breast cancer," said Maureen Cox, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the OU College of Medicine and a research member of OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center.

Blocking the Signal Slowed Tumor Growth

The discovery could open the door to a different way of treating cancer. Instead of focusing only on destroying cancer cells, future therapies might interrupt the signaling between macrophages and the nerves that appear to support tumor growth.

Cox and her colleagues tested this strategy in mice. They used a drug that blocks BDNF signaling and found that nerves no longer grew into the tumors. Tumor growth was also significantly reduced.

"It looks really promising that we can use this drug, which is already on the market, to target BDNF," Cox said. "We believe that the nerves are immunosuppressive, so if we can stop the nerves from growing in the first place, maybe we can boost the immune response to help fight the cancer."

Evidence From Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients

The researchers also examined data from people with triple-negative breast cancer to determine whether the same biological pattern might occur in humans. Tumors containing higher levels of macrophages and BDNF were linked with poorer survival, providing evidence that the mechanism observed in mice could also be relevant to patients.

Source: ScienceDaily

Breast cancer is surging among Asian American women — and scientists don’t know why

 A new UC San Francisco-led study has identified a sharp increase in invasive breast cancer among Asian American women over the past two decades.

Breast cancer rates have climbed across nearly every Asian American ethnic group at a pace that exceeds increases seen in any other U.S. ethnic group. The trend is particularly pronounced among women under 50 and among those diagnosed with advanced disease or certain aggressive forms of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Rates Are Climbing Quickly

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that breast cancer incidence rose by more than 3% annually in nearly every Asian American ethnic group examined. The increases were even greater among Chinese and Vietnamese women.

Native Hawaiian women already have some of the highest breast cancer rates among women in the United States. However, their rates increased by about 1% per year, substantially less than the increases observed among Asian American groups.

Researchers say greater use of breast cancer screening probably does not explain the trend. Screening tends to identify more cancers at earlier stages, yet the fastest increases occurred among cancers that had already spread.

One particularly concerning finding involved triple-negative breast cancer, which is considered the most aggressive subtype. Among Chinese American women, cases of triple-negative breast cancer increased by more than 6% each year between 2017 and 2022.

"These patterns are highly concerning from a disparities standpoint," said senior author Scarlett Lin Gomez, PhD, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF and co-leader of the Cancer Control Program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. "They underscore why it is so important to move beyond treating Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders as a single population."

A Closer Look at Breast Cancer Risk

To examine these trends, researchers analyzed about 150,000 invasive breast cancer cases diagnosed from 2000 through 2022. The data came from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.

The analysis included nine specific Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations across 14 states. Together, those states are home to about two-thirds of the U.S. AANHPI population.

Historically, Asian American women, with the exception of Native Hawaiian women, have had lower breast cancer rates than non-Hispanic white women. That difference is now shrinking quickly. By 2022, breast cancer incidence among Asian American women under 50 had become comparable to the rate among white women of the same age group.

Source: ScienceDaily

Scientists turn probiotic bacteria into tiny drug factories for pancreatic cancer

 Cancer immunotherapy has dramatically changed how doctors treat many forms of cancer, yet pancreatic cancer has remained particularly resistant to these advances. A major obstacle is the environment that develops around pancreatic tumors. These tumors often create a "cold" tumor microenvironment that blocks immune cells from launching an effective attack.

Researchers at the University of Chicago have now developed a new approach that could help overcome this problem. In a study published in Science Advances, the team used BifidoSumIL-2, an engineered strain of Bifidobacterium longum, a probiotic bacterium naturally found in the gut, to carry an immune-stimulating treatment directly into tumors.

In animal models, the therapy slowed the growth of pancreatic tumors by selectively activating T cells that fight cancer. Its effects became even stronger when researchers combined it with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy. The findings suggest that BifidoSumIL-2 could eventually provide a new way to improve how pancreatic tumors respond to treatment.

Using Bacteria to Deliver Cancer Therapy

"A big unmet medical need has been pancreatic cancer, and so that was going to be our mountain to climb," said Ralph Weichselbaum, MD, the Daniel K. Ludwig Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at the University of Chicago.

BifidoSumIL-2 was created to release a modified version of interleukin-2 (IL-2) once it reaches a tumor. IL-2 is a potent immune signaling molecule that activates T cells involved in attacking cancer. Conventional IL-2 treatment, however, can produce serious side effects and can also stimulate immune cells that actually weaken the antitumor response.

The researchers sought to avoid these problems by using SumIL-2, a modified form of IL-2 engineered to more precisely activate cancer-fighting T cells while reducing stimulation of regulatory T cells. They then placed SumIL-2 inside Bifidobacterium longum so that the therapeutic molecule could be concentrated within tumors instead of throughout the body.

Developing the treatment required scientists from several disciplines to work together, including specialists in microbiology, synthetic biology, oncology, and immunology.

"This was a highly interdisciplinary effort," said Mark Mimee, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the University of Chicago. "We had to bring together people who understand bacteria, people who understand tumors, and people who understand the immune system to make something like this possible."

Why Bifidobacterium Can Target Tumors

Bifidobacterium offered the researchers an unusual advantage as a delivery system. The bacterium grows in anaerobic environments, meaning places with very little oxygen. Low oxygen levels are common inside many solid tumors, including pancreatic tumors, while healthy tissues generally contain more oxygen and are therefore less suitable for the bacteria.

Source: ScienceDaily