https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us provides the latest news from Michigan State University Imagine ordering a truffle dish in a fancy restaurant, and you might picture pricey gourmet mushrooms from France or Italy. But recent decades have seen an upstart on the truffle scene. Today, one of the world's largest producers of some of the most prized truffles, known as French black or Périgord truffles (Tuber melanosporum), isn't in the Northern Hemisphere at all—it's Australia. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-australia-truffle-industry-owe-success.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:40:05 EDT news695903931 Often diagnosed in the teenage years, childhood-onset lupus is a serious, potentially fatal autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack itself. For as many as 10,000 U.S. youths, it can bring extreme fatigue, mood changes, pain and inflammation that affect many parts of the body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-therapy-kids-lupus-sessions.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:00:02 EDT news695564219 On March 25, a California trial awarded $6 million to a plaintiff who argued that the addictive qualities of social media had caused her harm. Google and Meta, which were the companies that were found liable, disagree with the verdict and intend to appeal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-jury-sharpens-heavy-social-media.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news695468864 New research finds that exposure to PFAS may weaken the immune system in adults, raising new concerns about the long-term health effects of these widely used chemicals. The study, titled "Associations of serum PFAS with COVID-19 antibody levels among fully vaccinated adults," is published in the journal Environmental Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-links-pfas-exposure-weaker-immune.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:50:01 EDT news694885201 Heat can change a honey bee's hormone levels, but only if the bee is alone. New research from MSU entomologist Zachary Huang shows that isolated honey bees experience a rapid hormonal rise when exposed to high temperatures, while bees kept in groups stay stable. The discovery highlights how social conditions and chemical signals shape bees' ability to withstand environmental stress. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-social-honey-bees-stay-cool.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:40:02 EDT news694782122 In parts of the Midwest and Great Plains, feathery yellow goldenrod and stands of big bluestem sway alongside Indiangrass and other prairie plants, stretching up to eight feet tall. Now, in the search for ways to help ecosystems withstand the weather extremes made worse by climate change, it seems that humble grassland plants like these may have some of the answers. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-decades-humble-grasses-clues-climate.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:30:02 EDT news694787162 People of color who are also part of sexual and gender minority groups face unique challenges shaped by overlapping forms of discrimination. While much research has focused on the mental health risks they experience, far less has explored how people of these multiple identities build strength and resilience. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-affirming-racial-gender-identity-mental.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:10:01 EDT news694672220 Climate change may reduce yields of crops like corn and soybeans, but it can also give some plants an edge. That's one of the takeaways of a recent study of tall goldenrod, a common wildflower that runs rampant in fields across its native range in North America and other parts of the world where it has been introduced. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-global-boon-aggressive-prairie.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:00:02 EDT news694700763 New research from Michigan State University challenges the popular assumption that narcissists gradually damage their relationships over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-narcissists-relationships-year-complex-pattern.html Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:20:01 EDT news694516120 From deadly heat waves to unprecedented flooding, devastating wildfires to record-breaking droughts, extreme weather is becoming the new normal. As climate-fueled shocks multiply, some creatures in our oceans, forests, deserts and grasslands will manage to cope and bounce back. But new research from Michigan State University asks: could some species and ecosystems not only survive shocks, but thrive because of them? https://phys.org/news/2026-03-explores-antifragility-nature-species-benefit.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:20:04 EDT news693493707 A team of scientists at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences have uncovered a mechanism that allows certain head and neck cancers to hide from the immune system, a discovery that could change how some of the most treatment-resistant tumors are approached. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, identifies a single protein at the heart of this invisibility and shows that removing it can make hidden tumors vulnerable to treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-hpv-positive-cancers-immune-blocking.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:04 EDT news693068285 A new study could explain why some mothers can still pass Group B Streptococcus, or GBS, to their babies after childbirth even when they're treated with antibiotics. A Michigan State University research team discovered postpartum GBS strains with mutations that allow them to survive in the birth canal and resist treatment. These strains can infect newborns and infants and cause dangerous illnesses like pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-mutant-group-strep-strains-infections.html Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:00:04 EDT news693148769 Youth in foster care often experience family instability, which can disrupt the continuity of their relationships and social connections. Therefore, the strength and stability of their social support networks can play a critical role in shaping their lives. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-youth-foster-strong-emotional-incarceration.html Sat, 21 Mar 2026 06:40:02 EDT news693292372 Inside a diseased cell, the genes are in chaos. Some are receiving signals to overproduce a protein. Others are reducing activity to abnormal levels. Up is down and down is up. The right molecule could restore order, reversing dysregulation in specific genes. But finding the ideal compound could require examining millions of chemicals for their influence on hundreds or thousands of genes. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ai-chemical-effects-gene-drug.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:00:02 EDT news692984579 When a cocaine addict relapses, it isn't a matter of personal failure—it's the biological result of their brain's rewiring, new research finds. Michigan State University scientists have found that cocaine changes how the hippocampus functions, contributing to the ongoing compulsion to seek out the drug. Their research, published in Science Advances, not only explains why cocaine addiction is notoriously difficult to treat, but could also help scientists develop new pharmaceutical therapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-cocaine-rewires-brain-relapse.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:00:15 EST news691777861 When a new species is discovered, it's tempting to imagine an adventure novel, said Chan Kin Onn of Michigan State University. "Most people have this image of an intrepid explorer braving an isolated mountain or some other remote place, and stumbling across a creature that no one has ever seen before," Chan said. Sure, that still happens occasionally. "But most of the time it's far less glamorous," he added. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-fanged-frog-thought-species-revealing.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:00:01 EST news691771621 The Care Bears taught a generation of kids that sharing is caring, but not everyone has carried this principle into adulthood. Researchers at Michigan State University have found a new angle to promote cooperation: artificial intelligence (AI). The results of this study, titled "Promoting cooperation in the public goods game using artificial intelligent agents," are published in npj Complexity. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-ai-society-selfish.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:00:03 EST news691257061 As countries strive to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, a new international study published in Nature Communications brings together 19 researchers in 13 institutions—including Jianguo "Jack" Liu, Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability and director of Michigan State University's Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS), former CSIS Ph.D student Zhenci Xu and two former CSIS visiting students Zhimeng Jiang and Xutong Wu—to present a comprehensive framework for understanding and managing cross-scale socioeconomic and environmental interconnections and feedback. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-local-action-global-impact-framework.html Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:40:02 EST news690808701 Chronic pain lasts longer for women than men, and new research suggests differences in hormone-regulated immune cells, called monocytes, may help explain why. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-chronic-pain-longer-women-immune.html Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:01 EST news690713341 Astronomers have long debated why so many icy objects in the outer solar system look like snowmen. Michigan State University researchers now have evidence of the surprisingly simple process that could be responsible for their creation. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-space-snowmen-gravitational-collapse-contact.html Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:00:15 EST news690567661 Students with disabilities account for almost 15% of the K-12 student population in the United States. Yet they are often underrepresented in charter schools, which are publicly funded schools open to all students. While there are discussions about what type of school environment best supports these students, it is important to take a closer look at the difference in learning environments. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-charter-schools-similar-outcomes-students.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 14:30:04 EST news689519938 New research from Michigan State University finds that how young adults recall adverse childhood experiences fluctuates based on the current quality of their relationships—particularly with their parents. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-young-adults-memories-childhood-adversity.html Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:40:01 EST news689077964 New research from Michigan State University finds that in the four years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended campus life, the majority of college students successfully bounced back. Students experienced rising life satisfaction and declining loneliness and, surprisingly, even a fonder remembrance of online classes from the early days of the pandemic. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-college-students-rebounded-pandemic-varying.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 05:02:34 EST news688885321 A groundbreaking international study of over 1,000 adolescents and young adults at risk for psychosis has found that social and academic difficulties emerge years before clinical symptoms appear, offering a critical window for early intervention. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-reveals-struggles-psychosis-years-opportunities.html Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:30:30 EST news688714141 Researchers have reported new experimental results addressing the origin of rare proton-rich isotopes heavier than iron, called p-nuclei. Led by Artemis Tsantiri, then-graduate student at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) and current postdoctoral fellow at the University of Regina in Canada, the study presents the first rare isotope beam measurement of proton capture on arsenic-73 to produce selenium-74, providing new constraints on how the lightest p-nucleus is formed and destroyed in the cosmos. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-cosmic-rare-proton-rich-isotope.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:49:31 EST news688315742 Taking anti-inflammatory drugs after surgery is fairly standard protocol. But a new study from researchers at Michigan State University suggests this approach may be backfiring and that blocking inflammation during this critical time may, in fact, delay recovery and prolong pain rather than relieve it. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-suppressing-postoperative-inflammation-prolong-pain.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:06:38 EST news687114361 Our galaxy's supermassive black hole is famous for being one of the dimmest in the universe. Evidence from a new space telescope shows that might not always have been the case. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-milky-black-hole-explosive-evidence.html Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:10:10 EST news687006099 A research team at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) is the first ever to observe a beta-delayed neutron emission from fluorine-25, a rare, unstable nuclide. Using the FRIB Decay Station Initiator (FDSi), the team found contradictions in prior experimental findings. The results led to a new line of inquiry into how particles in exotic, unstable isotopes remain bound under extreme conditions. Led by Robert Grzywacz, professor of physics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), the team included Jack Peltier, undergraduate student at UTK, Zhengyu Xu, postdoctoral researcher at UTK, Sean Liddick, professor of chemistry at FRIB and interim chairperson of MSU's Department of Chemistry, and Rebeka Lubna, scientist at FRIB. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-beta-delayed-neutron-emission-rare.html Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:14:08 EST news685440824 Though an estimated 60 million people around the world have atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, a type of irregular and often fast heartbeat, it's been at least 30 years since any new treatments have been developed. This is because researchers haven't had accurate models of the human heart to study. Thanks to new developments from Michigan State University scientists, that is no longer the case. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-scientists-mini-human-heart-organoid.html Sun, 14 Dec 2025 07:33:27 EST news684919956 If you watch TV, read popular books or even study research articles, you may walk away believing narcissism is a uniquely United States-based characteristic, whether most common in American young adults, professionals in law, business or entertainment, or politicians. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-narcissism-uniquely-american-trait.html Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:24:17 EST news684685441