Pioneering research into brain cancer is awarded the world’s largest brain research prize, The Brain Prize

Lundbeck Foundation

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The Brain Prize medal is awarded to the Brain Prize recipients by HM The King of Denmark at a ceremony in Copenhagen in May.

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Credit: The Lundbeck Foundation PR

Gliomas are types of cancers that arise in the brain and are extraordinarily difficult to treat. They are the leading cause of brain tumour-related deaths in both children and adults. Two pioneering scientists are awarded The Brain Prize 2025 for their discoveries that open up an entirely new way of thinking about and understanding these lethal diseases, and the potential strategies to treat them.

Copenhagen, Denmark, March 5th, 2025. Neuroscientists, Professors Michelle Monje (USA) and Frank Winkler (Germany), have made transformative discoveries by showing that neural activity in the brain can promote cancer initiation, growth, spread and treatment resistance. Thus, the everyday activity that takes place in the brain promotes the development of cancers within it. Striking recent studies further show that the influence of the nervous system is not limited to tumours in the brain, but also tumours throughout the body.

These remarkable findings have laid the foundation for an entirely new field of research called ‘Cancer Neuroscience’ that represents a paradigm shift in the understanding of these cancers, and which offers vital new opportunities for treatment.

Their efforts are rewarded with The Brain Prize 2025, the world’s largest award for outstanding contributions to neuroscience, established by the Lundbeck Foundation.

The Brain Prize 2025 worth DKK 10 million (€1.3 million) is awarded to:

Michelle Monje MD, PhD, the Milan Gambhir Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Stanford Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator,

and

Frank Winkler, MD, Professor of Experimental Neurooncology,

Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Neurology, and German Cancer Research Center

for:

Pioneering Cancer Neuroscience: Disease-driving interactions between the brain and brain tumours.

Chair of The Brain Prize Selection Committee, Professor Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, explains the reasoning behind this year’s award:

“Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumours. They are very difficult to cure, and the more rapidly growing forms are almost universally fatal. Working independently, Michelle Monje and Frank Winkler have transformed our understanding of the biology of these neurological cancers.

They have discovered extensive interactions between glioma cells and neurons and have characterized their molecular and cellular basis. These networks exhibit hallmarks of functional neural circuits such as synapses, electrical and chemical communication and coordinated activity.

These mechanisms allow glioma cells to hijack activity in the brain to drive tumour growth, spread and treatment resistance. Strategies to modulate these interactions offer novel approaches for potential new glioma therapies.

Together, Michelle Monje and Frank Winkler have pioneered a paradigm shift incorporating neuroscience into cancer research, forming what is now called ‘Cancer Neuroscience’. Both are practicing neurooncologists and exemplary clinician-scientists who have actively moved their mechanistic work into clinical trials.”

On behalf of the Lundbeck Foundation, CEO Lene Skole extends her warmest congratulations to each of The Brain Prize recipients:

“The pioneering work of this year’s Brain Prize recipients on brain cancer is a striking example of how a new perspective and scientific approach can provide a completely new level of understanding of the brain and its diseases. The crucial new insights into the neuroscience of brain cancers provided by Professors Monje and Winkler have also unlocked enormous potential for developing new and much- needed treatment approaches. Cancer Neuroscience is a new field of research and hopefully the prize will inspire more researchers, both younger and experienced ones, to enter this exciting field.”

 

 

New study: Eating mangos daily shown to improve insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control

New research finds mangos may be key to reducing insulin resistance in adults who are overweight or obese

Wild Hive

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Fresh mango may be key to reducing insulin resistance, improving insulin sensitivity in adults who are overweight or obese, according to new research published in Nutrients from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

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Credit: National Mango Board

ORLANDO, Fla. – Mar. 5 2025 – New research has uncovered a potential gamechanger for improving cardiometabolic health: fresh mangos.  A study recently published in the journal Nutrients finds that eating two cups of mango, just about 100 calories-worth, daily may help lower insulin concentration levels and improve insulin sensitivity in adults who are overweight or obese with chronic low-grade inflammation. The findings underscore how simple dietary choices could contribute to reducing the risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, which are closely linked to heart health.

 

The study, conducted at the Illinois Institute of Technology on 48 adults aged 20-60, examined how eating fresh mangos compared to a calorie-matched control food – Italian ices (a frozen, sweetened dessert similar to sorbet) – affected inflammation and insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese adults with low-grade chronic inflammation. The results showed that participants who ate mangos experienced significant reductions in insulin resistance, as measured by the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Beta-cell function, the ability of the pancreas to produce and release insulin to mange normal glucose concentrations, also significantly improved when measured using the disposition index (DI), a key marker of how effectively the body regulates blood sugar levels.

 

After four weeks, those in the mango group also had significantly lower insulin concentrations in response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) compared to the beginning of the study, while no changes were observed in the control group.

 

“Managing blood glucose isn’t just about monitoring blood sugar levels—it’s about improving insulin sensitivity,” says [Indika Edirisinghe, PhD, Professor of Food Science and Nutrition]. “Our study suggests that adding fresh mangos to the diet can be a simple, enjoyable way for people who are overweight or have obesity to support better insulin function and reduce type 2 diabetes risk.”

 

Notably, despite eating calorically comparable foods, body composition remained stable in the mango group, whereas the control group experienced a slight but significant increase in body weight. Additional study findings showed markers of inflammation (IL-6, TNFα, hs-CRP) and glucose levels were not significantly different between the two groups at the end of the study, making mangos a heart-healthy swap for calorically comparable sweet treats. There were also no differences between interventions in fasting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, or triglycerides.

 

"The improvement in insulin sensitivity in the mango group, without changes in body weight, is noteworthy – which counters misconceptions about mangos’ natural sugar content and impact on obesity and diabetes,” says Edirisinghe.  “These findings support previous research showing that eating mango does not lead to weight gain, and while the exact mechanism is still unknown, the role of improved antioxidant status from mango consumption may be the mediating factor on blood glucose control.”

 

These findings further reinforce the importance of fresh fruit, particularly mangos, as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle and dietary habits that aid blood sugar control, weight management, and overall wellness.  To learn more about the nutritional benefits of mangos, visit Mango.org.  

 

About the Study

Study inclusion criteria included having a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (>1.0 and <10.0 ng/L, and fasting blood sugar >100 mg/dL and <126 mg/dL. Those taking multivitamins or polyphenol supplements, statins, following a vegan diet or having diseases related to metabolic syndrome were excluded.

 

The mangos provided were a combination of Kent (126.9 g/serving) and Keitt (38.1 g/serving) varieties and beyond the intervention or control food, participants were instructed to keep their normal diet and lifestyle. Study tests (e.g., body composition) and food pick up occurred 5 times throughout the study, and participants were required to keep three-day food records to monitor compliance.

 

A strength of this study was its design: a 4-week randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blinded, parallel design conducted in free-living conditions, alongside assessments of both fasting and postprandial glycemic responses. This approach enabled a comprehensive evaluation of hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity. Limitations of the study included: study timing aligning with the COVID-19 pandemic which may have impacted inflammation data and interpretation of results; and the absence of measuring for mango metabolites.

 

This study was supported through an unrestricted grant from the National Mango Board (NMB). NMB had no influence over the study or its findings. 

 

About Illinois Institute of Technology

Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, Illinois Tech was born to liberate the power of collective difference to advance technology and innovation for all. It is the only tech-focused university in the city, and it stands at the crossroads of exploration and invention, advancing the future of Chicago and the world. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, architecture, business, design, science and human sciences, and law. Illinois Tech students are guaranteed access to hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and job readiness through the university’s one-of-a-kind Elevate program. Its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Its faculty and alumni built the Chicago skyline. And every day in the city's living lab, Illinois Tech fuels breakthroughs that change lives. Visit iit.edu.

 

About National Mango Board

The National Mango Board is an agricultural research and promotion program funded by the mango industry, and an instrumentalilty of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Board’s vision is “for mangos to be an on-going part of every American’s diet based on versatility, taste and nutritional benefits, enabling mangos to move toward being a top 10 valued whole fruit in the U.S. market by 2030.”  One serving, or ¾ cup of the superfruit mango contains 70 calories, 50 percent of daily value of vitamin C, 15 percent of daily value of folate, 15 percent of daily value of copper, eight percent daily value of vitamin A, eight percent daily value of vitamin B6, seven percent of daily value of fiber and an amazing source of tropical flavor. Learn more at Mango.org. 

 

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Journal

Nutrients

DOI

10.3390/nu17030490 

Article Title

Mango Consumption Is Associated with Increased Insulin Sensitivity in Participants with Overweight/Obesity and Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation

 

How ‘self-silencing’ your opinion may change behavior

Those with minority views may change actions to follow majority

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Ohio State University

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People who have a minority viewpoint on a controversial topic are more likely to “self-silence” themselves in conversation – and that may lead them to behave against their own beliefs, a new study found.

 

Researchers found that those who felt they were in the minority didn’t want to elaborate on why they supported their position when they spoke to someone who held the majority opinion.

 

But even more important, those with the minority viewpoint showed behavior that wasn’t in line with their true opinions after they spoke to those with the opposing view, the study found.

 

“We found that those with the minority belief didn’t just refrain from speaking up – they conformed their behavior to the majority, which is very consequential,” said Nicole Sintov, co-author of the study and associate professor of behavior, decision making and sustainability at The Ohio State University.

 

The research was published online recently in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

 

The research involved 248 undergraduate students at Ohio State.

 

At the beginning of the study, the participants were asked “how supportive are you of The Ohio State University providing more plant-based (vegetarian/vegan) foods in on campus dining facilities?” They rated their support on a scale of 1 (very opposed) to 7 (very supportive).

 

The participants knew, by virtue of being a student at the university, that they were immersed in a campus-wide culture that generally supports plant-based foods, the researchers said. Participants were also informed of the university’s sustainability goals, which signaled support for sustainable foods.

 

Participants were told they would be paired with a fellow undergraduate student conversation partner to discuss the proposed plant-based food policy. In actuality, these partners were confederates who worked with the researchers and were assigned to give the same three arguments (on ethical, health and environmental grounds) either for or against the food proposal.

 

The three-minute conversations were recorded and the responses of the participants were analyzed.

 

Findings showed that those with minority viewpoints self-silenced when speaking with the confederates who expressed the majority opinion. But even those students with minority views who spoke to confederates who shared a similar opinion self-silenced, although not to the same extent.

 

Sintov, a faculty member in Ohio State’s School of Environment and Natural Resources, said that wasn’t entirely surprising.

 

“They were strangers, so they still may not have felt comfortable sharing these minority views.  And some people are total self-silencers who have this policy that they just won’t discuss controversial subjects, under any circumstances,” she said.

 

It wasn’t that self-silencers didn’t say anything, the researchers found.  But they weren’t expressing their true opinion.  They may have used avoidance tactics, such as showing uncertainty, indifference, or just changing the topic of conversation.

 

Overall, those with the minority viewpoint used fewer total unique arguments for their position than did those holding the majority opinion.

 

“If you don’t speak up with your true opinion, then you’re not processing the conversation as deeply,” Sintov said. “You’re not analyzing and thinking and reflecting on the information in the conversation in the same way that you might if you did speak up.”

 

And that may have even affected their behavior.

 

After the conversation, the students took part in an activity where they could raise money in support of the plant-based foods policy. They did this by clicking their mouse as many times as they could in 40 seconds, a task that had been validated in a previous study.

 

Findings showed that those who opposed the plant-based foods policy clicked the mouse about as many times as did those who said they supported it, in opposition to their own self-stated beliefs.

 

Overall, the study findings suggest self-silencing can have concerning effects, Sintov said.

 

“It leads to a public perception that the minority viewpoint doesn’t exist – it is less important. It becomes this vicious cycle where people’s true thoughts aren’t expressed and the public belief is the majority opinion is overwhelming and can’t be changed,” she said.

 

“That’s especially true if those with the minority viewpoints are behaviorally going along with the majority.  It is just more evidence that the majority opinion is dominant.”

 

The findings call for people to become more aware of their own beliefs and how they express them. Those with minority views need to be willing to discuss their true beliefs, even if they feel uncomfortable, Sintov said.

 

And on the other side, those in the majority need to be willing to hear the thoughts of the other side, even if they don’t agree with them.

 

“We need to be open to civil discourse in our society. It has to be a two-way street,” Sintov said.

 

The study was led by Kristin Hurst, a former Ohio State postdoctoral researcher now faculty at Southern Illinois University.  Other co-authors were Grant Donnelly, assistant professor of marketing at Ohio State, and Logan Hobbs, an Ohio State graduate now at Michigan State University.

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Journal

Journal of Environmental Psychology

DOI

10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102555 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Self-silencing predicts behavioral conformity in sustainability contexts

 

Highly radioactive nuclear waste – how to keep it from oblivion

Linköping University

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Postdoctoral fellow Thomas Keating at Tema T – Technology and Social Change at Linköping University, Sweden.

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Credit: Per Wistbo Nibell

Sweden’s radioactive nuclear waste will be stored in a sealed bedrock repository for 100,000 years. It will be hazardous for a very long time. So how can we ensure that humanity does not forget that it is there? Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have come up with a proposal for how to keep the memory alive over generations.

“We’re trying to do something that no one has ever done before. The person who eventually reads this might not even be human, but perhaps a kind of AI or something else,” says postdoctoral fellow Thomas Keating, who led the research project together with Professor Anna Storm at Tema T – Technology and Social Change at LiU.

What he is referring to is a 42-page, oblong document with a yellow cover, called the Key Information File (KIF). It contains the most important information that a future reader may need about the planned final repository next to the Forsmark nuclear power plant in Sweden. It is divided into three parts: summary, critical information and instructions for the future.

The document was produced on behalf of the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). The idea is that it will keep the memory of the final repository alive. Although the repository is to be sealed and thus in theory inaccessible, accidental or intentional intrusion, technological failure or existential societal change cannot be ruled out. All of this makes it important not to forget what is buried there.

The researchers have tried to create a document enticing the reader to reread it and share it with others. They have used professional illustrators to make it aesthetically pleasing. While the text is easy to understand, there are mysterious characters on the cover. It is a coded message for the reader to try to solve. Through playfulness, the researchers want to create curiosity and enthusiasm. 

But language changes over time. So does the interpretation of images and symbols. The document therefore tasks future generations with updating the information and transferring it to new storage media if necessary. It also provides suggestions on how knowledge can be kept alive, for example by including it as a subject in school curricula or creating stories and other cultural expressions around it.

The researchers have named this method SHIRE (SHare, Imagine, REnew). It is an invitation to the reader to share the content and become actively involved in figuring out how it can be renewed so as not to be forgotten.

The Key Information File is the result of three years of work. It has been reviewed in scientific seminars and in workshops with representatives of clients, the public and industry organizations, nationally and internationally. Several countries, such as France and Switzerland, are working on similar documents for their final repositories.

The researchers propose an update of the document every ten years, but it is not clear who will be responsible for this in Sweden. Although SKB has financed the research project, they have clearly stated that they do not want formal responsibility but are willing to contribute in some form. Thomas Keating believes that one explanation for this is the long timeframe and that SKB is not meant to exist past the completion of the final repository. 

Very few people in the nuclear industry are working on the question of how to preserve the memory of nuclear waste. There are several examples of how when someone dies or retires and work on this issue is discontinued.

“Perhaps we need a whole new research area for this type of memory study. This could be something for the universities to develop in the future,” says Thomas Keating.

The idea now is that the document be kept at The Swedish National Archives. In addition, it has already been decided that it will be part of the major archiving project Memory of Mankind. It is an archive founded in Austria in 2012 which aims to preserve humanity’s collective knowledge for posterity on material that will last for thousands of years. 

“So it will be printed on ceramic tablets and placed in an old salt mine in a mountain in Austria,” says Thomas Keating.

The cover of the Key Information File.

SHIRE (SHare, Imagine, REnew) is an invitation to the reader to share the content and become actively involved in figuring out how it can be renewed so as not to be forgotten.

The Key Information File contains critical information on the final repository for Sweden's nuclear waste.

Credit

Per Wistbo Nibell

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DOI

10.3384/9789180758581 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Key Information File: Essential Information on the Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository in Forsmark, Sweden