Articles

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the beta cells of the pancreas, responsible for producing insulin. For those affected, daily life is marked by constant blood glucose checks and insulin administrations. But a new frontier of medicine could radically change this scenario. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025 demonstrated the possibility of restoring lost function through the transplantation of stem cells t

For decades, myocardial infarction was considered an irreversible event. When heart muscle cells die from lack of oxygen, they do not regenerate: a fibrous scar forms in their place that cannot contract, progressively compromising the heart’s ability to pump blood and paving the way for heart failure. Today, however, that paradigm is beginning to change. Research published in Science in 2026 suggests that the heart possesses a previously “silent” self-repair capacity that cou

For decades we have pictured the brain as an impregnable fortress, protected by the skull and the blood–brain barrier, a highly sophisticated biochemical customs post whose vital task is to let nutrients through to neurons while blocking toxins, bacteria and immune cells that could trigger inflammation. However, recent scientific evidence published in Nature is rewriting our understanding of how vulnerable this protection can be, especially for people who play contact sports

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, in his Epistulae morales ad Lucilium—especially Letter 54—portrays asthma not only as a bodily ailment but as a genuine "exercise in death" (meditatio mortis). The Stoic philosopher describes the asthmatic crisis as suspirium: a breath that falters, leaving the body in an anguished suspension. For Seneca, the loss of breath was the most concrete manifestation of human frailty: "Everything that must happen, happens at the moment when the breath fails." I

Today at Città della Scienza (Napoli) the Hippocratic Oath 2026 was celebrated. A symbolic moment, certainly. But the real oath is not made with a formula spoken before an audience: it is shown every day, in overwhelmed emergency rooms, in understaffed wards, during brutal shifts and in the continual exodus of young doctors from a system that too often leaves them alone. Medicine cannot become only a permanent heroic sacrifice. Those who today swear to care for and protect li

The distance separating us from our desired results is not an unbridgeable void, but a space that can only be filled by discipline. We often fall into the trap of waiting for “motivation” as if it were a favorable and unpredictable condition. The science of performance, however, suggests a shift in perspective: motivation does not precede action, but is its consequence. Acting consistently and working regularly means training the mind—particularly the prefrontal cortex—to res

On the occasion of World Liver Day 2026, the international scientific community gathers around a fundamental concept: “food is health.” This message underscores how prevention represents a universal language, capable of bridging oceanic divides and uniting communities and healthcare systems in a shared mission. The liver is not just an organ, but the true laboratory of the human body. Silent yet tireless, it is responsible for metabolism, detoxification, and maintaining the b

A millennial intuition of Aristotle, forcefully returned to relevance in the chaotic flow of modernity and social media, reminds us of a truth that we often prefer to ignore: discipline beats talent. If talent is a seed, a potential enclosed in a fragile shell, discipline is the cultivated soil that allows that seed to sink its roots and transform into a centuries-old oak. Without the constancy of nourishment and protection from the elements, even the most prized sprout is d

Prof. Antonio Giordano had the pleasure of attending the birthday party of Andrew Douglas, board member of the Sbarro Health Research Organization. Each year, Andrew Douglas hosts a special guest, and this year we had the opportunity to hear from Riley Gaines, who presented her book Swimming Against the Current. Riley Gaines gave a motivational speech about her experiences as an athlete, the challenges she has overcome, and her advocacy for women’s rights and fairness in spor

Heavy smartphone use among adolescents isn't just a matter of habits: it has become a central topic in neuroscience. Today, we know that continuous interaction with digital devices isn't neutral—it directly engages the brain's circuits for motivation and pleasure. At the heart of the phenomenon is the mesolimbic reward system, a neural network that regulates learning, drive to action, and the sensation of gratification. Every notification, message, or "like" can trigger the r

In the United States, the new political offensive on drug prices has reopened a global dossier.The agreements promoted by the Trump administration with various pharmaceutical companies aim to reduce some U.S. prices and link the launch of new drugs to levels practiced in other developed countries. However, this does not mean that the United States already has the world's lowest prices, nor that Europe is automatically destined to pay more. It means more concretely that the ne

Italy's medical sector today faces a structural contradiction that risks undermining the credibility of any long-term innovation strategy. On one hand, our country boasts international leadership in biotechnological research: in centers of excellence, tumor proteomes are analyzed across thousands of molecular variables, and complex networks like the 97 biobanks of the BBMRI.it node are coordinated. On the other hand, this density of scientific knowledge struggles to translat

For many decades, medicine has treated alcohol consumption as a largely "neutral" issue, developing guidelines based largely on studies conducted on male populations. This approach has produced an incomplete view of the real risks. However, scientific data consolidated in early 2026 marks a turning point: the female body exhibits a specific biological vulnerability to alcohol, faster and more severe than long believed. This is not a matter of individual tolerance or willpower

Genetic data reveal a surprising asymmetry in pairings, with a biological legacy we still carry today A study published in Science has uncovered a fascinating insight into encounters b etween our ancestors and Neanderthals, painting a compelling picture of interactions between the two human species. The findings suggest a surprising dynamic: women of Homo sapiens paired more frequently with males of Homo neanderthalensis, while unions between sapiens men and Neanderthal wom

When talking about “One Health,” there’s a risk of using complex words to describe a very simple idea: the health of humans, animals, and the environment is closely interconnected. These aren’t separate worlds, but parts of the same system. One Health isn’t an abstract theory or a slogan. It’s a different way of doing prevention. It means recognizing that many diseases don’t originate in the doctor’s office, but much earlier: in farms, food supply chains, antibiotic use, poll

The heart isn’t just the muscle responsible for pumping blood: it’s a fascinating organ marked by surprising biological complexity. Recent studies suggest it has adopted an extreme evolutionary strategy to ensure its survival. Unlike many other tissues that regenerate continuously, the heart has essentially “abandoned” cell division. This choice serves a fundamental purpose: to minimize genetic errors that could lead to tumors. Not surprisingly, primary heart cancer is so rar

A new line of research is opening very different scenarios: a single drop of blood might be enough to obtain precise information on the disease Diagnosing Alzheimer’s has never been simple. Until today, to have a reliable confirmation of the disease, it is often necessary to resort to expensive or invasive tests, such as PET brain scans or the withdrawal of cerebrospinal fluid through a lumbar puncture. Effective procedures, certainly, but not always easily accessible or acce

Professor Antonio Giordano now contributes a dedicated column titled “Medicine – Highlights” to Il Mattino, one of Italy’s most esteemed and widely circulated daily newspapers, long-established as a cornerstone of Southern Italian journalism. Below follows the content of the article as published in the Italian edition of Il Mattino. Under stress, women’s cells resist, men’s cells “suicide themselves” A recent study investigated how male (XY) and female (XX) cells respond diff

"Is there any food that will prevent cancer permanently?" The answer may be a big "NO" but there are foods that can help you reduce the...

More than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, which is about 1 in 10, and most of them, almost 90-95%, have type 2...