3D Brain Models Can Be Tailored For Therapies

A few MIT scientists have developed a new 3D human brain tissue model that could change how researchers study neurological diseases.

The platform, called Multicellular Integrated Brains or miBrains, recreates key features of real human brain tissue, offering a more accurate way to test drugs and understand disorders like Alzheimer’s.

The breakthrough comes at a time when neuroscience research is pushing beyond traditional lab models and animal testing to create systems that truly reflect how the human brain functions.

Each miBrain is smaller than a dime, but it brings together the brain’s six major cell types, including neurons, glial cells, and vascular structures, in one living model.

"The miBrain is the only in vitro system that contains all six major cell types that are present in the human brain," said Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor, director of The Picower Professor of Learning and Memory, and senior author of the study.

In their first demonstration, the researchers used miBrains to uncover how a common genetic marker for Alzheimer’s disease alters cell interactions to produce disease-related changes.

Traditional brain research relies on two main approaches: simplified cell cultures and animal models. While cell cultures are easy to produce, they lack the complexity needed to study how different brain cells interact.

Animal models, on the other hand, are more biologically complete but expensive, slow to yield results, and not always reliable for predicting human outcomes.

miBrains combine the strengths of both systems. They are easy to grow and modify, yet complex enough to replicate real brain behavior. Because they are derived from patient-specific stem cells, researchers can create personalized versions that reflect an individual’s genetic makeup.

The six integrated cell types self-organize into functional structures, including blood vessels and immune components, and even form a working blood-brain barrier that filters what can enter the tissue.

"Recent trends toward minimizing the use of animal models in drug development could make systems like this one increasingly important tools for discovering and developing new human drug targets," said Robert Langer, co-senior author of the study.

Creating a model with so many cell types took years of experimentation. One major challenge was building a structure that could physically support cells and sustain their activity.

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Is The Trend "Slow Fade" The New "Ghosting"?

There is nothing like the feeling of new relationship energy. You know the onev—vthe feeling when you’ve been dating someone for a while, it’s going really well, and you start getting giddy thinking about them. But then, as their texts pivot from flirty paragraphs to one-word replies, the blissful bubble bursts. That behavior, my friends, is called the "slow fade" in dating.

"The person doesn't disappear entirely; instead, their texts become shorter and less frequent, dates become rarer, and their enthusiasm noticeably wanes," says Natassia Miller, an ASSECT-certified sexologist and relationship expert with Dating News. "They're still technically 'there,’ but their presence feels increasingly hollow."

But what does the slow fade really mean? And what can you do if you’re the one being slowly faded out in a relationship? Or better yet, are you guilty of the deed yourself? With the help of experts, we're breaking down all the need-to-know deets on navigating this modern dating behavior.

According to Miller, the "slow fade" in dating is the gradual withdrawal of communication and effort in a dating relationship. It's when someone progressively becomes less available, responsive, and engaged over time until the connection eventually dies out.

You might notice that once frequent good morning texts turn into no text at all; they slowly pull their energy back even when actively going on dates with you; and, in general, you just feel that that something is off.

Now, you might be thinking, "Isn’t that just ghosting?" Well, no. It’s actually quite different.

While ghosting is like slamming a door shut, the slow fade is like slowly turning down the volume on a relationship until it becomes silent. "It's a drawn-out process that can take weeks or even months," says Miller. Unlike with ghosting, which is often quite abrupt.

"They [the slow fader] gradually reduce communication, attention, and effort until the relationship fizzles out completely," Foxx says, "It leaves the other person wondering what’s happening because the disconnection happens in small steps."

Because of the slow in the slow fade, it can often be more psychologically taxing than ghosting, due to the ambiguity and false hope it can create. With ghosting, the message is clear (albeit hurtful): it's over.

"Ghosting is abrupt, but at least it’s clear," Foxx adds, "With the slow fade, there’s always a lingering question: Are they busy, or are they done with me?"

In short, it doesn’t feel great.

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3D-Printing To Produce Dental Crowns

Dental patients may soon leave the dentist with a permanent crown in just a few hours.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a technology that enables same-day, 3D-printed dental restorations made of zirconia, the gold-standard material for permanent dental work.

The innovation could transform crowns, bridges, veneers, and other restorations by making them faster, more personalized, and convenient for patients.

Dental crowns are caps placed over damaged or decaying teeth and can also serve as supports for dental bridges.

Currently, same-day 3D-printed crowns exist, but they use ceramic resins that lack zirconia’s strength. While zirconia crowns are available, they are milled, a process that limits design complexity and carries risks of micro-cracking.

The UT Dallas team solved a key challenge: the lengthy processing time required after 3D-printing zirconia.

After printing, crowns must undergo debinding, which removes the resin holding zirconia particles, and sintering, which fuses the particles into a solid structure. Traditionally, debinding can take 20 to 100 hours.

"Debinding has been the bottleneck in the process," said Dr. Majid Minary, professor of mechanical engineering.

"It must be done very slowly. If you speed it up, the polymer being burned off turns into gas, and if that gas cannot escape, the crown may crack or fracture. A debinding time of 20 to 100 hours is not practical for same-day dental service. As a result, 3D-printed permanent zirconia restorations are not yet commercially available."

The breakthrough reduces debinding time to less than 30 minutes. Using porous graphite felt and enhanced heat transfer, gas released from the resin escapes while a vacuum system removes it, allowing crowns to survive the process without cracking.

"With our technology, if a practitioner wants to offer a 3D-printed zirconia crown chair-side, they could provide it to a patient within just a few hours," Minary said.

The project, involves collaborations with Pan-AM Dental Laboratory, 3DCeram Sinto Inc., and Dr. Amirali Zandinejad, a prosthodontist and former Texas A&M associate professor.

Additional UT Dallas contributors include Mahdi Mosadegh, first author and doctoral student; Moein Khakzad; Zahra Sepasi; Kalyan Nandigama; and Dr. Golden Kumar.

The team recently received a US$ 550,000 NSF Partnerships for Innovation – Technology Translation award to support commercialization.

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Transgenderism Trend Is Losing Steam In U.S. Campuses

The trans trend and trans-identification among young people appears to be losing momentum. This was supported by recent data taken from college campuses that shows a sharp decline in the number of Gen Zers identifying as transgender over the past three years.

Eric Kaufmann, a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham, conducted his own analysis of a large survey of U.S. undergraduates — which included a question asking them to identify their gender.

Anything that isn't a man or woman is considered "gender non-conforming," the surveying organization shared with Fox News Digital.

In the 2025 survey of 68,000 students, only 3.6 percent of respondents identified as a gender other than male or female.

"By comparison, the figure was 5.2 percent in 2024 and 6.8 percent in both 2022 and 2023," Kaufmann wrote in his analysis, which was published on UnHerd.com.

"In other words, the share of trans-identified students has effectively halved in just two years."

The report also found that "non-conforming sexual identity" has sharply declined, according to Kaufmann. Those identifying as gay or lesbian remained "stable," although heterosexuality has risen 10 points since 2023.

Additionally, in 2024-2025, fewer college first-year students identified as "trans or queer" compared to seniors — which is the opposite of what occurred in the 2022-2023 year.

"This suggests that gender/sexual non-conformity will continue to fall," Kaufmann wrote in an X post sharing the data.

The annual survey — College Free Speech Rankings — is conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The aim is to gather students' opinions on freedom of speech, along with demographic information like gender.

Kaufmann conducted his analyses using six years of demographic data from the survey, FIRE confirmed to Fox News Digital.

His independent report, "The Decline of Trans and Queer Identity among Young Americans," was published by the Centre of Heterodox Social Science and has not been peer-reviewed.

"Our survey looks at student attitudes for free expression and is conducted for that purpose," FIRE told Fox News Digital. "As a side effect of asking demographic questions of so many respondents, one can glean trends in demographics, as Professor Kaufmann has done here."

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Losing Pets Can Teach Children How To Deal With Death

Usually, losing a pet is the first time many children encounter death. The experience can become an opportunity for profound emotional learning and influence how young people understand and process grief when they are adults, according to psychologists and pet bereavement specialists.

Parents and guardians therefore have important roles to play when a family pet dies. Along with helping children accept the painful permanence of death, caregivers can guide kids through a healthy and healing mourning process that provides a foundation for coping with an inevitable part of life.

"People are so adverse to talking about death and grief, but it is the one thing that is guaranteed: We are all going to die. We need to be open to talking about that," said Deirdra Flavin, CEO of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief.

Depending on how old they are and their individual circumstances, children vary in their ability to comprehend the concept of death. The way they process grief, how long they mourn and the impact of the loss is also unique to each child, just as it is for adults. Experts say sadness, anger and other overwhelming emotions associated with grief may be more difficult for younger children to navigate, so having support is crucial.

Psychologists and bereavement counselors say some people feel the heartbreak from a pet's death as intensely as the loss of any other loved one, reflecting the potential depths of human-animal bonds. In the case of children, their relationship with a pet, and whether the death was sudden or not, are other factors that may shape individual responses.

Colleen Rolland, president of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, says parents usually know how intellectually and emotionally capable their children are of processing death.

Children as young as 4 years old might have been exposed to death through fairy tales and other stories but may struggle to understand its finality, Rolland said. Older children, who will know their loss is forever, may need more emotional support from friends and family, she said.

Elizabeth Perez said she learned quickly how differently her three children processed the death of their dog, Zoe, who was hit by a car nearly a year-and-a-half ago in front of their second daughter. The other two children were inside the family's home in Pullman, Washington.

"Carmen would talk about how the images kept replaying in her head, she was having nightmares and couldn't sleep," Perez said, adding that her daughter hasn't worn the dress she had on that day since.

Experts say it’s important to be honest and use clear language when discussing death with children. Adults often are inclined to protect children with euphemisms, such as a pet went to sleep, got lost or was put down.

"That can be alarming for children and cause a lot of confusion and fear. So, saying 'The fish went to sleep’ might create concerns for the child when they are going to sleep," Flavin said. "Particularly with younger kids because they are so literal in terms of the way that things are expressed to them."

Much like they do in other situations or developmental stages, children often learn how to handle grief by watching their caregivers. The way adults respond to loss is likely to set an example for their children.

"Parents, or caregivers, must be confident in how they deal with pet loss," Rolland said, adding that parents who are unfamiliar with grief or display unhealthy behaviors might teach children to act in the same manner.

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Travelers Are Slowly Drawn To "Tattourism"

Many travelers have long enjoyed collecting souvenirs to remember their adventures around the globe. But these days, many are option for something far more lasting than a postcard, T-shirt or snow globe.

There a new trend now known as "tattourism" or tattoo tourism. It refers to the practice of traveling with the intention of getting a new tattoo in a certain destination.

"It blends self-expression with adventure, often creating lifelong memories through body art," Julia Pandolfo, senior director of marketing for Moxy Hotels NYC, told HuffPost.

While some travelers might choose to get inked on a whim, she explained that "tattourists" tend to travel specifically for the purposes of getting a tattoo — whether from a famous artist, in a culturally significant place or just as a meaningful way to commemorate a trip.

"Some travelers might mark their life-changing trip with a photo or trinket, while others walk away with a piece of living art on their bodies as a souvenir," said Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for the flight alert service Going. "Tattoo tourism is not a new trend, but with people increasingly prioritizing experiences over things these days, walking away with a visual memory of your trip that lasts a lifetime can feel like a better use of funds for younger travelers."

Indeed, tattoos and travel have long been intertwined. From ancient tribes and Polynesian explorers to sailors marking their voyages in ink, body art has long been tied to journeys and identity.

"These days, tattourism has gained traction, particularly among Gen Z and millennial travelers looking for permanent souvenirs to commemorate their trips," said Vicki Poulos, vice president for luxury lifestyle brands for IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Kimpton and Hotel Indigo brands.

According to research from Hostelworld, more than 40 percent of travelers between the ages of 18 and 35 have gotten a tattoo while on a trip. Of that group, one in three said the decision was spontaneous, while more than half traveled abroad specifically to get tattooed. Similarly, one Nashville studio reported that about 40 percent of its clients make a special trip specifically to see its artists, and another 40 percent are tourists who decide to get inked while visiting Music City.

The tattoos themselves vary widely. Some travelers seek out big-name artists or niche styles, while others opt for designs that reflect the place itself ― from landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge or Big Ben, to city skylines, maps, location coordinates or even playful cultural nods like a croissant in Paris.

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Warm Weather Prompts An Increase In Sugar Intake

The slowly rising temperatures in the United States appear to be the reason why many people reach for products with added sugar, like sodas and ice cream, according to a new study.

In the study, published recently in Nature Climate Change, researchers used household food purchase data from 2004 to 2019 in the U.S. to determine how monthly average temperature affected daily added sugar consumption. They found consumption steeply increased in temperatures between 12 and 30 degrees Celsius, or about 54 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, with a marked spike in consumption when temperatures exceeded 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

The biggest driver of sugar consumption came from sweetened beverages, like soda and juice, according to the study. Frozen desserts like ice cream increased slower, and sugar from bakery goods, oils and raw sugars slightly decreased. The authors said this decrease suggests a potential preference toward more chilled, hydrating items.

Overall, the authors expect the increase in sugar consumption from beverages and frozen items stems from physiological and psychological demand for fluids and refrigerated products in warmer weather.

There were also differences in who reached for these sugary items more. The study found those in lower income groups and those with lower educational levels were more likely to have increased added sugar consumption with higher temperatures where as higher income groups and those with higher educational levels were less responsive to temperature in terms of consumption.

The authors pointed to two potential reasons for these differences: different micro-environmental temperatures — particularly at workplaces — and educational levels leading to different food and drink choices out of health concerns.

Excessive consumption of added sugar can have substantial impacts on health, including increased risk of obesity, various cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and even cancer.

"Projections show that future climate change will aggravate health risks related to added sugar intake, particularly for socio-economically disadvantaged populations whose average daily intake already exceeds 10% of the recommendations from the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and almost 20% of the recommendations from the American Heart Association," the authors of the study wrote.

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The 2025 Nobel Prize Winners In Medicine

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded last 6 October to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for discovering how the immune system prevents itself from attacking the body.

The trio was recognized "for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance," a critical process that keeps the body’s defense system from turning on its own tissues.

Announced by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, the winners will share 11 million Swedish kronor (around £871,400). According to Prof Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of the Nobel Assembly, only Sakaguchi could be reached at the time of the announcement.

"We have their phone numbers, but they’re probably on silent mode," he said.

Their work explains how immune cells, particularly T-cells, can distinguish between the body’s own tissues and harmful invaders. This discovery provides a foundation for understanding and treating autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

T-cells are white blood cells that detect and attack infected or cancerous cells. However, if these cells mistakenly target healthy tissues, the results can be devastating. By the late 1980s, scientists knew that harmful T-cells were eliminated in the thymus gland as they matured.

"Their discoveries have been decisive for our understanding of how the immune system functions and why we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases," mentioned Olle Kämpe, chair of the Nobel Committee.

Prof Marie Wahren-Herlenius of the Karolinska Institute added, "For a long time, this was believed to be the only way self-tolerance is obtained. However, some self-reactive cells escape out into our circulation and are potentially dangerous."

Sakaguchi uncovered a second line of defense. He showed that mature T-cells carrying a protein called CD25 can suppress harmful T-cells. These special cells became known as regulatory T-cells, or T-regs.

"Essentially, they are the brakes of the immune system," explained Prof Adrian Liston from the University of Cambridge.

Brunkow and Ramsdell expanded on Sakaguchi’s findings by identifying a genetic link to immune regulation. They discovered that mice with a severe autoimmune disorder called scurfy had a mutation in the FoxP3 gene located on the X chromosome.

Later, they found that children with mutations in the same gene developed a rare autoimmune condition known as Ipex syndrome.

Sakaguchi later showed that FoxP3 controls the development of regulatory T-cells, confirming its essential role in maintaining immune balance.

"Regulatory T-cells keep most of us from having autoimmunity and allergy," Liston said. "By having a strong system of brakes, we are able to have stronger and faster immune reactions—the same way a car can have a better accelerator if it has good brakes."

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Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?

While human beings are living longer than ever, women almost always have the higher average life expectancy than men — and this is not exclusively a human phenomenon. Mammalian lifespans usually favor females—with some exceptions, they tend to live about 12 percent longer than males. But the opposite is seen in many species of birds, insects, and reptiles, where males often outlive females.

Genetics may be the reason behind this. It is though that the two X chromosomes of female mammals—which make them monogametic—may actually protect them from detrimental genetic mutations that heterogametic males do not have as much of a defense against, as they only have one X and one Y chromosome. This reverses in birds, where males are the monogametic sex and females are heterogametic. But genetics are not necessarily the only reason female mammals (and male birds) have an advantage.

To try and solve the rest of the puzzle, an international team of researchers — led by Johanna Stärk from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany — investigated what factors can lengthen or shorten male and female lifespans. Zoo records from over a thousand bird and mammal species appeared to support what is known as the heterogametic sex hypothesis, and so did data from species in the wild. But it could still not explain exceptions, such as female birds of prey being longer-lived than males.

As it turns out, sexual selection might be what determines who gets to live longer — one sex of a species may ultimately drain potential lifespan by using too many resources to develop and maintain traits that give them an edge in attracting mates. It is also possible that reproduction itself can take years off the life of one sex.

Survival rates can be reduced by the stresses of gestation, giving birth or laying eggs, and caring for offspring, though this doesn’t seem to affect the average lifespans of human females. Stärk’s team focused mostly on data from zoo populations because animals living in a zoo are not exposed to the added pressures of predators, illness, injury, or starvation.

"Species often live considerably longer in zoos than in the wild, and abundant resources and managed reproduction in zoos may lower individual survival costs associated with growth and reproduction," the team said in a study recently published in the journal Science Advances. "For example, the influence of sexual size dimorphism on male survival tends to be lower, and the individual cost of producing offspring appears to have no effect on female survival in zoo settings."

In zoos, female mammals had an even greater lifespan advantage of 16 percent, with male birds at 6 percent. But it was even more surprising that male birds lived an average of 5 times longer in the wild, and female mammals lived 1.5 times longer.

There were still some mammals that defied the odds — about 5 percent of male mammals in zoos and 7 percent in the wild outlived females, and the same went for 4 percent of female birds in zoos and slightly over 2 percent in the wild that outlived the males of their species. The female advantage was especially high in ungulates such as hippos, rhinos, antelope, and zebras, while there was more of a male advantage in carnivorous mammals.

Monogamy and polygamy may also have something to do with how long males and females live. Males of polygamous species of mammals often experience intense competition for a mate. As a result, a larger body size and built-in weapons like teeth and claws may give them the advantage with females, but they also may use up enough energy and other body resources to shorten their lifespans. More birds tend to be monogamous (compared to mammals), and without as much pressure to show off for mates, male birds that are not sexually dimorphic often have longer lives.

There are some outliers, however. Male birds of paradise have flamboyant plumage (never mind elaborate mating dances), and most species are polygamous,—all factors which may lower lifespan. But males are still living longer overall across bird species, while females have the longer lifespans among mammals.

"Our findings may help explain why differences in [average life expectancy] between men and women are so consistent across time and cultures," Stärk said. "Specifically, female-biased [average lifespan] appears to be common to chimpanzees and gorillas, suggesting that longer life expectancies for females are a characteristic long embedded in our evolutionary history."

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