Medical Bulletin 18/June/2026 - Video

Here are the top medical news for today:

New Study Reveals Blood Proteins That Predict Disease-Causing Aging Cells

A simple blood test may one day reveal which parts of the body are aging faster than others—and even predict a person's risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer's, ALS, or lung cancer years before symptoms appear, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine.

Researchers analyzed more than 7,000 plasma proteins from 60,542 people and used artificial intelligence to estimate the biological age of over 40 different cell types, including brain, immune, muscle, endocrine, and respiratory cells. They found that accelerated aging in specific cell types was strongly linked to a higher risk of age-related diseases, while younger-looking cells were associated with better long-term survival.

One of the most striking findings involved Alzheimer's disease. People carrying the high-risk APOE4 gene variant had biologically older astrocytes, brain cells that support neurons. Among participants with two copies of the APOE4 gene, those with extremely aged astrocytes were three times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those with younger astrocytes. Faster aging of other brain cell types was also associated with greater cognitive decline and dementia severity.

The researchers also found that cellular aging was linked to diseases beyond the brain. Individuals with biologically older skeletal muscle cells were 12.7 times more likely to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Among current smokers, accelerated aging of lung cells increased the risk of lung cancer by 58% compared with smoking alone.

Cellular aging also appeared to influence overall survival. Participants with mostly normal cellular aging had an approximately 90% survival rate over 15 years, while those with more than 20 extremely aged cell types had survival rates of only about 34%. In contrast, younger immune and nerve cells were associated with better survival outcomes.

The researchers say blood-based protein profiling could eventually help identify people at high risk for age-related diseases before symptoms develop, allowing earlier monitoring and more personalized prevention strategies.

REFERENCE: Ding, D.Y., Bot, V.A., Chen, K.L. et al. (2026). Plasma proteomic signatures of cellular aging predict human disease. Nature Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04446-y, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04446-y

Heart Regeneration Drug Shows Promise for Repairing Damaged Kidney Tissues: Study

A drug originally developed to help the heart heal after a heart attack may also help damaged kidneys repair themselves, according to a new study published in Cell Stem Cell. Researchers found that the experimental therapy promoted kidney regeneration and reduced scarring in mice after injury, raising hopes for a new treatment approach for kidney disease.

The drug, called AD-NP1, works by blocking ENPP1, a protein that researchers found interferes with the body's natural repair process after tissue injury. Scientists at UCLA previously showed that inhibiting ENPP1 improves healing in heart tissue. In the new study, they discovered that the same protein also plays a key role in preventing kidney regeneration.

The researchers first analyzed kidney biopsies from people with chronic kidney disease and found significantly higher levels of ENPP1 compared with healthy kidney tissue. They then induced kidney injury in mice using a kidney-toxic diet and medications. Mice genetically unable to produce ENPP1 recovered much better, with blood markers of kidney function—including creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and cystatin C—showing significant improvement after four weeks compared with normal mice.

To test whether a drug could produce the same effect, the team treated injured mice with AD-NP1, a laboratory-engineered monoclonal antibody designed to specifically block ENPP1. Within just seven days, treated mice showed improved kidney function and significantly less scar tissue. Researchers also observed increased proliferation of healthy kidney cells, suggesting that blocking ENPP1 allows the organ's natural repair mechanisms to work more effectively.

The findings are particularly promising because AD-NP1 has already received FDA approval to begin Phase 1 clinical trials as a potential treatment to improve heart repair after heart attacks. The researchers now plan to pursue clinical trials to evaluate whether the same therapy can safely improve kidney healing in people with kidney disease.

REFERENCE: Su, L., et al. (2026). ENPP1 blockade with a humanized monoclonal antibody enhances renal repair after acute kidney injury. Cell Stem Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2026.05.011. https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/abstract/S1934-5909(26)00203-1

New Review Questions Benefits of Calcium and Vitamin D for Stronger Bones

Calcium and vitamin D supplements have long been recommended to help older adults prevent fractures and falls. However, one of the largest reviews ever conducted suggests these supplements may offer little to no meaningful protection for most seniors.

A new review published in The BMJ analyzed data from 69 randomized clinical trials involving more than 153,900 adults and found that calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, or taking both together provided little to no clinically important reduction in the risk of fractures or falls.

Falls affect nearly one in three adults aged 65 years and older each year, often leading to fractures, disability, reduced independence, and lower quality of life. Because of this, calcium and vitamin D supplements have been widely recommended for decades to support bone health and reduce fracture risk.

To evaluate whether those recommendations are supported by current evidence, researchers reviewed 69 randomized controlled trials that compared calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, or combined supplementation with placebo or no treatment.

After analyzing the data, they found little to no clinically meaningful reduction in overall fracture risk with calcium alone, vitamin D alone, or the combination of both. The supplements also showed little to no benefit in preventing hip fractures or reducing the risk of falls.

Importantly, the findings remained consistent across different groups of participants, including after accounting for age, sex, previous fractures, previous falls, and dietary calcium intake.

Based on the available evidence, the authors conclude that routine calcium and vitamin D supplementation is not supported as a strategy to prevent fractures or falls in most older adults.

Meanwhile, they also recommend directing greater attention toward interventions with stronger evidence, such as balance training, resistance exercise, home hazard reduction, and personalized fall prevention programs, which have consistently been shown to lower fall risk.

REFERENCE: Olivier Massé, Claudia Mei Mercurio, Sébastien Dupuis, Maya Al Sahwi, Alexandra Arruda, Gabriel Dallaire, Katherine Desforges, Nicolas Dugré, David Williamson. Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 2026; 393: e088050 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2025-088050