Many dog owners have long believed that their pets can sense when a stranger is not to be trusted, and research from Kyoto University now offers experimental support for the idea that dogs rapidly recognize unreliable people and then decline to take their cues, a finding that suggests the subtle way a dog sometimes pulls away from an unfamiliar person may reflect a real capacity to judge how dependable humans are. In the behavioral trials, the researchers examined whether dogs would keep following a human pointing gesture after they had been misled by it, and when an experimenter repeatedly pointed toward containers that held no food, the dogs soon learned that the signal could not be relied upon and became increasingly unwilling to follow it in later attempts. This refusal to cooperate with a deceptive person indicates that the social intelligence of dogs is more refined than has often been assumed, since the animals do not simply obey human gestures out of habit but instead appear to assess how trustworthy a person has been in earlier encounters and to adjust their behavior in response. According to the account you provided, the dogs were also willing to follow the instructions of a new and neutral experimenter, which would show that they do not lose confidence in people as a whole and instead mark and remember the specific individuals who have broken their trust. [Takaoka, A., Maeda, T., Hori, Y., & Fujita, K. (2015). Do dogs follow behavioral cues from an unreliable human? *Animal Cognition*, 18(2), 475-483. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-014-0816-6]

A study published in Nature reports that common respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, can reactivate dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs and prompt rapid tumor growth. After primary treatment, inactive disseminated cancer cells can remain quiet for years without producing symptoms. Severe inflammation triggered by respiratory viruses, however, can stimulate these dormant cells to resume division and form aggressive metastatic tumors within weeks. Investigators identified interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory protein released during viral infection, as the main molecular signal driving this reactivation. Laboratory results in mouse models align with observational human data. Breast cancer survivors who contracted COVID-19 showed a higher risk of developing lung metastases than those who did not become infected, with some analyses indicating an increase of roughly 40 to 50 percent. The researchers note that the findings, while concerning, also point toward possible protective measures. Blocking IL-6, providing timely care after infection, or maintaining routine vaccinations against respiratory viruses could reduce the inflammatory stimulus and lower the chance of recurrence in cancer survivors. [Chia, S. B., Johnson, B. J., Hu, J., et al. (2025). Respiratory viral infections awaken metastatic breast cancer cells in lungs. Nature, 645, 496–506. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09332-0]

China just unveiled the world’s first medical ‘bone glue’ that heals fractures in minutes, with no metal implants, no follow-up surgery. Inspired by oysters, this breakthrough could transform fracture treatment worldwide.

A 30 percent vitamin C solution dissolved in DMSO cleared 86 percent of basal cell skin cancer lesions within eight weeks in a clinical trial. In a randomized study published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, researchers tested a topical mix of high-concentration ascorbic acid and dimethyl sulfoxide, a solvent that helps substances penetrate deeply into the skin. Applied twice daily for eight weeks, the combination produced complete clearance in 13 of 15 lesions (86.7 percent) among patients with low-risk basal cell carcinoma. This rate exceeded that of the standard topical treatment imiquimod, which cleared 8 of 14 lesions (57.1 percent). The vitamin C–DMSO formulation also caused fewer side effects and avoided the lasting skin hypopigmentation sometimes seen with conventional topical therapies. Because basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer worldwide, these early results suggest a possible low-cost, non-invasive option. Larger trials are still required before the approach can be adopted as standard care. [Burke, B., & Bailie, J.-E. (2022). Randomized trial of topical ascorbic acid in DMSO versus imiquimod for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 148, 112710. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112710]

This is Doug. He waits patiently all day for his partner to fall asleep. Now it's burrow time. Nose under arm for maximum warmth. Would never sleep alone again.