{"id":67,"date":"2025-04-24T13:31:19","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T20:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/?p=67"},"modified":"2025-04-24T13:31:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T20:31:19","slug":"mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scientists have discovered that mice naturally help their unconscious companions without any training or rewards, challenging long-held assumptions about animal altruism and revealing surprising parallels between rodent and human social behavior.<\/p>\n

When placed near an anesthetized mouse, observer mice show clear signs of distress and quickly begin grooming and licking their unconscious companions. This behavior not only accelerates the recovery of the anesthetized mouse but also reduces the helper’s own stress levels, according to research published April 23 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The study marks the first time scientists have mapped the exact brain pathways responsible for this spontaneous helping behavior in mice, potentially illuminating the biological roots of empathy across species.<\/p>\n

“This study reveals that mice exhibit spontaneous rescue-like behavior, facilitating the recovery of anesthetized conspecifics without prior training or external rewards,” the researchers write in their paper.<\/p>\n

While altruistic behaviors have been well documented in larger mammals like elephants and dogs, and even in insects like ants, evidence for such tendencies in rodents has remained controversial until now.<\/p>\n

The research team, led by Dr. HU Li from the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dr. CHEN Zhoufeng from Washington University School of Medicine and the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, used advanced techniques including transgenic mice, chemogenetics, optogenetics, and fiber photometry to uncover the biological mechanisms driving this behavior.<\/p>\n

Their findings identify oxytocin\u2014often called the “prosocial hormone” in humans\u2014as the key molecular player coordinating the helping response through two distinct brain pathways.<\/p>\n

When an observer mouse encounters an anesthetized companion, oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus activate. The released oxytocin then works through parallel pathways to coordinate both the emotional and physical aspects of the helping behavior.<\/p>\n

One pathway, through the central amygdala, processes the emotional component\u2014recognizing the distress of the unconscious mouse. Meanwhile, a second pathway through the dorsal bed n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scientists have discovered that mice naturally help their unconscious companions without any training or rewards, challenging long-held assumptions about animal altruism and revealing surprising parallels between rodent and human social behavior. When placed near an anesthetized mouse, observer mice show clear signs of distress and quickly begin grooming and licking their unconscious companions. This behavior … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1299,"featured_media":69,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[8,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brain-behavior","category-life-nonhumans","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"\nMice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends - SciChi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scientists have discovered that mice naturally help their unconscious companions without any training or rewards, challenging long-held assumptions about animal altruism and revealing surprising parallels between rodent and human social behavior. When placed near an anesthetized mouse, observer mice show clear signs of distress and quickly begin grooming and licking their unconscious companions. This behavior ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-24T20:31:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/mouse-cpr.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"864\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082\"},\"headline\":\"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-24T20:31:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":327,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/mouse-cpr.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Brain & Behavior\",\"Life & Nonhumans\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends - SciChi\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/mouse-cpr.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-24T20:31:19+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/mouse-cpr.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/mouse-cpr.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":864,\"caption\":\"At least this is how we imagine it (AI generated image of lab mouse CPR.)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/24\\\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/\",\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"description\":\"Tracking Chinese Research\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/scichi-logo-cropped.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/scichi-logo-cropped.jpg\",\"width\":796,\"height\":296,\"caption\":\"SciChi\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082\",\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"SciChi\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/author\\\/chinaresearch\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends - SciChi","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends","og_description":"Scientists have discovered that mice naturally help their unconscious companions without any training or rewards, challenging long-held assumptions about animal altruism and revealing surprising parallels between rodent and human social behavior. When placed near an anesthetized mouse, observer mice show clear signs of distress and quickly begin grooming and licking their unconscious companions. This behavior ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/","og_site_name":"SciChi","article_published_time":"2025-04-24T20:31:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1536,"height":864,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/mouse-cpr.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"SciChi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"SciChi","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/"},"author":{"name":"SciChi","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#\/schema\/person\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082"},"headline":"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends","datePublished":"2025-04-24T20:31:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/"},"wordCount":327,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/mouse-cpr.jpg","articleSection":["Brain & Behavior","Life & Nonhumans"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/","name":"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends - SciChi","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/mouse-cpr.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-24T20:31:19+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/mouse-cpr.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/mouse-cpr.jpg","width":1536,"height":864,"caption":"At least this is how we imagine it (AI generated image of lab mouse CPR.)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/24\/mice-show-empathy-help-unconscious-friends\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mice Show Empathy, Help Unconscious Friends"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/","name":"SciChi","description":"Tracking Chinese Research","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#organization","name":"SciChi","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/scichi-logo-cropped.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/scichi-logo-cropped.jpg","width":796,"height":296,"caption":"SciChi"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#\/schema\/person\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082","name":"SciChi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"SciChi"},"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/author\/chinaresearch\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/mouse-cpr.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":159,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/05\/19\/scientists-find-protein-that-could-upend-osteoporosis-treatment\/","url_meta":{"origin":67,"position":0},"title":"Scientists Find Protein That Could Upend Osteoporosis Treatment","author":"SciChi","date":"May 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A protein previously known for its role in brain and reproductive function may offer new hope for millions suffering from osteoporosis, according to a groundbreaking study published in Bone Research last month. Scientists have discovered that Neural EGFL-like 2 (NELL2) plays a crucial role in maintaining bone health\u2014potentially opening the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Osteoporosis is a disease of bone where there is reduced bone mineral density (R), increasing the likelihood of fractures.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/1600px-Osteoporosis_in_Bones.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/1600px-Osteoporosis_in_Bones.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/1600px-Osteoporosis_in_Bones.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/1600px-Osteoporosis_in_Bones.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":268,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/09\/25\/scientists-find-cancers-hidden-scent\/","url_meta":{"origin":67,"position":1},"title":"Scientists Find Cancer’s Hidden Scent","author":"SciChi","date":"September 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Cancer might be giving itself away through an invisible trail of chemical scents long before tumors become detectable through traditional screening methods. A new study from Chinese researchers suggests that analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the chemical signatures our bodies constantly emit, could transform how doctors hunt for multiple types\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Schematic diagram of esophageal cancer cell identification research process","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/09\/cancer-smell.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/09\/cancer-smell.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/09\/cancer-smell.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/09\/cancer-smell.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":339,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2026\/01\/07\/a-persistent-hum-might-help-clear-alzheimers-plaques-for-weeks\/","url_meta":{"origin":67,"position":2},"title":"A Persistent Hum Might Help Clear Alzheimer’s Plaques\u2014For Weeks","author":"SciChi","date":"January 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Families watching Alzheimer's take hold have heard promises before. But what if the answer wasn't a drug or surgery, but a sound\u2014a low, steady drone at the pitch of a refrigerator hum? Inside a research lab in China, nine aged rhesus monkeys sat near speakers emitting 40-hertz tones for an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brain & Behavior"","block_context":{"text":"Brain & Behavior","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/brain-behavior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"monkey looking thoughtful","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/01\/pexels-alexasfotos-11171325.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/01\/pexels-alexasfotos-11171325.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/01\/pexels-alexasfotos-11171325.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/01\/pexels-alexasfotos-11171325.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":346,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2026\/01\/28\/new-technique-unlocks-gene-therapy-for-hundreds-of-conditions\/","url_meta":{"origin":67,"position":3},"title":"New Technique Unlocks Gene Therapy for Hundreds of Conditions","author":"ScienceBlog.com","date":"January 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Gene therapy just leapt past a barrier that's held it back for years. Researchers in China have worked out how to pack oversized genes into the viral delivery vehicles that doctors use to treat genetic diseases, a trick that could unlock treatments for hundreds of conditions previously considered untreatable. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Graphical abstract","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/01\/fx1_lrg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/01\/fx1_lrg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/01\/fx1_lrg.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/01\/fx1_lrg.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":219,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/07\/25\/ancient-desert-berry-shows-rare-power-to-reverse-diabetes-in-mice\/","url_meta":{"origin":67,"position":4},"title":"Ancient Desert Berry Shows Rare Power to Reverse Diabetes in Mice","author":"SciChi","date":"July 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A crimson berry long prized by nomads in western China is offering new hope in the fight against type 2 diabetes. Scientists have shown that a natural extract from the fruit of Nitraria roborowskii Kom\u2014known locally as the \u201cdesert cherry\u201d\u2014can dramatically reduce blood sugar, restore insulin sensitivity, and protect organs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nitraria roborowskii Kom","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/07\/nitraria-37e12c3a-fcd6-4e31-ac60-1df56ac2965-resize-750.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/07\/nitraria-37e12c3a-fcd6-4e31-ac60-1df56ac2965-resize-750.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/07\/nitraria-37e12c3a-fcd6-4e31-ac60-1df56ac2965-resize-750.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/07\/nitraria-37e12c3a-fcd6-4e31-ac60-1df56ac2965-resize-750.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":395,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2026\/03\/13\/yak-gene-could-repair-damaged-nerves-in-multiple-sclerosis\/","url_meta":{"origin":67,"position":5},"title":"Yak Gene Could Repair Damaged Nerves in Multiple Sclerosis","author":"SciChi","date":"March 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Every nerve fibre in your brain and spinal cord is wrapped in something a bit like electrical tape. The myelin sheath, as it's called, is a fatty insulating layer produced by specialist cells called oligodendrocytes, and without it, nerve signals lose their speed and coherence. In multiple sclerosis, the immune\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Yak","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/03\/pexels-soulofmurcidus-8843014.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/03\/pexels-soulofmurcidus-8843014.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/03\/pexels-soulofmurcidus-8843014.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/03\/pexels-soulofmurcidus-8843014.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1299"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions\/68"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}