Cells, cytometry, and cancer: the link between menopause and breast cancer

A study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and collaborators in Vancouver have uncovered how age-related changes in breast tissue may increase cancer risk. By sequencing individual cells, the team constructed a detailed map of breast tissue comprising over three million cells. They also used a technique known as imaging mass cytometry (IMC) to map the spatial organisation of these cells within the tissue.

The study found that cell numbers of all types declined steadily with age, with the most pronounced losses occurring during and after menopause. Key structures in the tissue shrink, leaving the tissue less resilient and more vulnerable to DNA damage.

“Cell numbers of all types declined steadily with age, with the most pronounced losses during menopause”

This reduction in cellular diversity, combined with hormonal changes, appears to create conditions that favour cancer development – helping to explain why four out of five breast cancer cases occur in women over 50. The findings could improve risk prediction and inform new strategies for early detection and prevention.

Warming, winds, and weather: will there be a super El Niño?

Researchers at the European Centre For Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are warning that this year’s El Niño event could be among the strongest ever reported. If so, it may drastically reshape weather patterns worldwide.

El Niño is part of a natural Pacific Ocean cycle that oscillates between La Niña and El Niño phases. During La Niña, the wind pushes warm water westward, allowing cooler water to rise in the eastern Pacific. This temporarily suppresses global temperatures, masking the warming effects of human-driven climate change. During El Niño, however, the wind weakens and reverses: warm water accumulates in the eastern Pacific, raising global temperatures and disrupting weather systems. Depending on the region, El Niño can increase flood risk, intensify droughts, and shift hurricane activity.

“El Niño can increase flood risk, intensify droughts, and shift hurricane activity”

Researchers are already reporting rising ocean temperatures – an early sign that the system is transitioning into an El Niño phase. Scientists are now closely monitoring wind patterns and sea surface temperatures to determine whether a devastating ‘super El Niño’ (defined by a temperature increase exceeding 2°C) will develop. In regions susceptible to drought and flooding, early preventative measures are already being encouraged.

However, forecasting remains uncertain due to the so-called ‘spring prediction barrier’, which limits accuracy. In 2014, for instance, a major El Niño was forecast but ultimately failed to materialise. By June, however, predictions should become more reliable. With geopolitical tensions and supply chain pressures already straining global systems, a strong El Niño could further drive up food prices and inflation.

Dwarfs, digital cameras, and discovery: uncovering the history of our galaxy

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is set to transform astronomy with its decade-long Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), which will soon take the longest continuous image of the universe. Using early LSST data, astronomers have already identified 17 new ultracool brown dwarf candidates. The researchers estimate that, once the survey is fully underway, more than 17,000 such objects could be discovered.

Brown dwarfs are dying remains of failed stars – too small to sustain hydrogen fusion – and emit light primarily in the infrared, making them invisible to the naked eye. However, LSST’s infrared-sensitive filters allow astronomers to detect this faint emission and distinguish these objects from background noise.

Despite their dimness, brown dwarfs are scientifically valuable because they preserve the chemical signatures of the gas clouds from which they formed; they offer insight into the early chemistry of the Milky Way. Their atmospheres also resemble those of exoplanets, making them useful analogues for understanding exoplanet behaviour.

As LSST begins its full survey, astronomers are preparing for a wave of discoveries. These early findings suggest that even the faintest objects can illuminate some of the biggest mysteries in our galaxy’s history.