Tunnel connects our solar system to other stars

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A tunnel connects our solar system to other stars

For a long time, scientists have known that our solar system sits within a peculiar region of space called the Local Hot Bubble, estimated to be about 300 light years across. This area formed as a result of powerful stellar explosions called supernovas. After mapping and analysing this hot, less dense region we have been living in, it turns out to be a hot, low-density plasma stretching out from our solar system toward distant constellations.

To better understand this environment, scientists turned to eRosita. This X-ray observatory, launched as part of the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission, scoured the sky to capture soft X-ray emissions. One of eRosita’s goals is to chart hot gas in space, learn about supernova remnants, and investigate the surroundings of our neighbourhood.

By combining these results with older data from ROSAT, another X-ray survey, astronomers have pieced together a more detailed picture of our local region. This painstaking approach helped isolate the faint glow of the surrounding plasma. What stands out is the detection of a channel, or “tunnel,” that appears to stretch toward the Centaurus constellation. This feature seems to punch through the hot material, connecting our neighbourhood to distant star systems.

Continuing to explore these cosmic channels will require increasingly sensitive instruments. New X-ray missions, deeper surveys, and refined models of hot gas distribution will improve our understanding. Over time, astronomers hope to fill in more of this cosmic map and explain how these tunnels affect everything from local cosmic rays to dust flow patterns and stellar wind dynamics.

The findings are published in Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.

Russia to launch first-ever cancer vaccine

Russia’s news agency TASS reveals a promising development in cancer treatment. The report suggests that there may be a new breakthrough in cancer treatment. According to the latest reports, Russia has developed the first-ever cancer vaccine.

Russia has created this vaccine using the genetic material, mRNA. The vaccine aims to treat cancer patients rather than prevent tumour formation in patients. Reports suggest that the vaccine is set to be available to patients free of charge by early 2025.

The vaccine is personalized for each patient. It makes use of parts of a patient's own tumour to teach the immune system to battle the disease. It helps the immune system recognise and attack proteins unique to the patient’s cancer.

The vaccine guides the body’s immune system to target and attack cancer cells precisely. Pre-clinical trials show that the vaccine can suppress tumour growth and prevent cancer from spreading to other parts of the body. “In less than 48 hours, we could see these tumours shifting from what we refer to as 'cold'—immune cold, very few immune cells, very silenced immune response—to 'hot,' very active immune response," stated Elias Sayour, a UF Health paediatric oncologist and senior author of the study.

The insights published in the Moneycontrol paper give more information to this.

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Meteorite impact caused dinosuar extinction

The meteorite impact in the Gulf of Mexico roughly 66 million years ago is well-researched and widely known as the defining end of the dinosaur age. But Earth scientists have fiercely debated for decades whether a massive outpouring of lava on the Indian continent, which occurred both prior to and after the meteorite impact, also contributed to the demise of dinosaur populations roaming Earth.

These volcanic eruptions released vast amounts of CO₂, dust, and sulfur, thereby significantly altering the climate on Earth. Now, climate scientists from Utrecht University and the University of Manchester show that while the volcanism caused a temporary cold period, the effects had already worn off thousands of years before the meteorite impacted.

By analysing fossil molecules in ancient peats from the United States of America, the scientific team reconstructed air temperatures for the time period covering both the volcanic eruptions and the meteorite impact. Using this method, the researchers show that a major volcanic eruption occurred about 30,000 years before the meteor impact, coinciding with at least a 5° Celsius cooling of the climate. They also conclude that this cooling was likely the result of volcanic sulfur emissions blocking sunlight from reaching Earth's surface.

Importantly, the scientists discovered that by around 20,.000 years before the meteorite impact, temperatures on Earth had already stabilized and had climbed back to similar temperatures before the volcanic eruptions started, so it was definitely the meteorite that caused the mass extinction, the researchers concluded.

The study is published in Science Advances.

Growth of brain cells speeds up in space

In space, the force of gravity is reduced to miniscule levels, known as microgravity. This absence of gravitational pull can influence muscles, bones, cognition and the immune system, but its specific effects on the brain have remained largely unexplored.

To investigate, scientists from Scripps Research collaborated with the New York Stem Cell Foundation to send brain cell organoids to the International Space Station (ISS). These tiny, stem-cell-derived clusters provide a unique window into understanding the neurological effects of microgravity. The study revealed that the space cells were closer to becoming adult neurons and had begun showing specialization.

On Earth, the researchers cultivated organoids from stem cells to mimic specific brain cells like cortical and dopaminergic neurons. These types are significant as they are impacted by conditions like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

To ensure the organoids could sustain themselves aboard the ISS, the team innovated a method using cryovials – small, airtight containers designed for freezing – in which to grow smaller-than-usual organoids. This eliminated the need for constant maintenance in orbit, as the nutrient-rich medium within the cryovials remained stable for the duration of the experiment.

Prepared at Kennedy Space Centre, the organoids travelled to the ISS in a miniature incubator. After spending a month in microgravity, the brain-mimicking organoids returned to Earth intact and healthy.

The researchers then compared the RNA expression patterns between the space-exposed organoids and those that had remained on Earth. The results shown that the brain organoids grown in microgravity revealed a gene expression pattern that indicated they were more mature than their Earth-grown counterparts.

Interestingly, the study also revealed reduced inflammation and lower expression of stress-related genes in space-grown organoids. This finding contradicted initial hypotheses and raised new questions about the unique environment of microgravity. The scientists speculate that microgravity may more closely replicate the natural conditions experienced by brain cells.

The findings represent a significant step in understanding how microgravity impacts brain development and function. As research progresses, these insights may lead to innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and a deeper understanding of human biology in space.

The study is published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine

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Thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Adya