{"id":290958,"date":"2026-02-14T12:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T12:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/290958\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T12:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T12:18:09","slug":"mars-molecules-a-cholesterol-cutting-compound-and-more-sciencealert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/290958\/","title":{"rendered":"Mars Molecules, a Cholesterol-Cutting Compound, And More! : ScienceAlert"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This week in science: Mysterious molecules on  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/mars\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73083\" data-postid=\"192427\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">Mars<\/a> are tricky to explain without life; a compound that cuts cholesterol as a daily oral pill; an experimental new treatment for sleep apnea has a 93 percent success rate; and much more!<\/p>\n<p>Memory Loss in Alzheimer&#8217;s Linked to Problems With The Brain&#8217;s &#8216;Replay Mode&#8217;<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Brain-replay-642x361.jpg\" alt=\"Memory Loss in Alzheimer's Linked to Problems With The Brain's 'Replay Mode'\" width=\"642\" height=\"361\" class=\"wp-image-192111 size-medium\"   loading=\"lazy\"\/>(Sean Gladwell\/Getty Images\/vasabii\/Canva)<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/go\/IaO\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73015\" data-postid=\"192427\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">Alzheimer&#8217;s<\/a> disease interferes with the brain&#8217;s &#8216;replay mode&#8217;, contributing to memory loss, according to a new study in mice.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s striking is that replay events still occur \u2013 but they&#8217;ve lost their normal structure. It&#8217;s not that the brain stops trying to consolidate memories; the process itself has gone wrong,&#8221; says neuroscientist Caswell Barry.<\/p>\n<p>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/memory-loss-in-alzheimers-linked-to-problems-with-the-brains-replay-mode\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Mars Organics Are Hard to Explain Without Life, NASA-Led Study Finds<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cumberland-hole-642x361.jpg\" alt=\"Mars Organics Are Hard to Explain Without Life, NASA-Led Study Finds\" width=\"642\" height=\"361\" class=\"wp-image-192083 size-medium\"   loading=\"lazy\"\/>(NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/MSSS)<\/p>\n<p>A NASA-led analysis of organic molecules found on Mars has concluded that they can&#8217;t yet be explained by known, non-biological processes.<\/p>\n<p>They considered the non-biological deposition and formation mechanisms that could have put them there \u2013 processes that include transport from interplanetary dust, meteorites, atmospheric haze fallout, hydrothermal chemistry, and reactions such as serpentinization.<\/p>\n<p>Even when combined, these processes were unable to approach the inferred original abundance of the molecules.<\/p>\n<p>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/mars-organics-are-hard-to-explain-without-life-nasa-led-study-finds\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Remnant&#8217; Cholesterol Cut by More Than 60 Percent in New Drug Trial<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ArterialDisease-642x361.jpg\" alt=\"'Remnant' Cholesterol Cut by More Than 60 Percent in New Drug Trial\" width=\"642\" height=\"361\" class=\"wp-image-191004 size-medium\"   loading=\"lazy\"\/>(Christoph Burgstedt\/Science Photo Library\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>A compound called TLC-2716 has been found to reduce remnant blood cholesterol by up to 61 percent in a short  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/clinical-trials\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73032\" data-postid=\"192427\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">clinical trial<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;All doses of TLC-2716 were safe and well tolerated&#8221;, the researchers report.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/newsletter?utm_source=promo_octopus_black\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Octopus-black-final-642x272.jpg\" alt=\"Subscribe to ScienceAlert's free fact-checked newsletter\" width=\"642\" height=\"272\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-190933 size-medium\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The drug produced &#8220;substantial improvements in plasma lipid metabolism&#8221;, and taking it orally may also be an advantage, the team adds, citing &#8220;patient convenience, reduced cost, and the potential to combine with other lipid-lowering therapies.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/remnant-cholesterol-cut-by-more-than-60-percent-in-new-drug-trial\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists Have Discovered a Protein That Reverses Brain Aging in The Lab<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/LargeNeuron-642x361.jpg\" alt=\"Digital illustration of a neuron\" width=\"642\" height=\"361\" class=\"wp-image-191313 size-medium\"  \/>(Svisio\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus)<\/p>\n<p>Increasing a protein called DMTF1 in the brain has been found to reverse brain aging in lab tests, by increasing neural  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/stem-cells\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73034\" data-postid=\"192427\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">stem cell<\/a> numbers.<\/p>\n<p>The team found that DMTF1 is more abundant in younger and healthier brains, and that adding more of the protein encouraged neural  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/stem-cells\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73034\" data-postid=\"192427\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">stem cells<\/a> to grow and divide \u2013 potentially restoring the natural neuron production associated with a younger brain.<\/p>\n<p>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/scientists-have-discovered-a-protein-that-reverses-brain-aging-in-the-lab\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Something Far Darker Than a Black Hole Could Hide in The Heart of The Milky Way<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dark-matter-core-642x361.jpg\" alt=\"Something Far Darker Than a Black Hole Could Hide in The Heart of The Milky Way\" width=\"642\" height=\"361\" class=\"wp-image-191864 size-medium\"  \/>(Valentina Crespi et al.)<\/p>\n<p>Instead of a supermassive  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/black-holes\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73020\" data-postid=\"192427\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">black hole<\/a>, the Milky Way&#8217;s core could be a big blob of fermionic  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/dark-matter\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73017\" data-postid=\"192427\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">dark matter<\/a>, according to a new model.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are not just replacing the black hole with a dark object; we are proposing that the supermassive central object and the galaxy&#8217;s dark matter halo are two manifestations of the same, continuous substance,&#8221; explains astrophysicist Carlos Arg\u00fcelles of the Institute of Astrophysics La Plata in Argentina.<\/p>\n<p>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/something-far-darker-than-a-black-hole-could-hide-in-the-heart-of-the-milky-way\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>93% Success Rate Shown in Experimental Sleep Apnea Procedure<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SleepApnea-642x361.jpg\" alt=\"Man with a CPAP mask\" width=\"642\" height=\"361\" class=\"wp-image-191535 size-medium\"  \/>(Grandriver\/E+\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>An experimental new treatment for sleep apnea, involving a small implantable electrode, has shown a 93 percent success rate in human trials.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a 90-minute procedure performed under ultrasound guidance with minimal discomfort,&#8221; says otolaryngologist Simon Carney from Flinders University.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Importantly, we were able to open airways in patients previously considered unsuitable for hypoglossal nerve stimulation [surgery].&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/93-success-rate-shown-in-experimental-sleep-apnea-procedure\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week in science: Mysterious molecules on Mars are tricky to explain without life; a compound that cuts&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285300,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[85,46,371,141],"class_list":["post-290958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-msft-content","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}