This Week in Science: Possible Diabetes Cure in Mice, Ancient Moon Sulfur, a New Branch of Life, and More

This week brought a mix of biomedical breakthroughs, planetary surprises, evolutionary discoveries and thought-provoking theoretical work. Below are concise summaries of the top developments and why they matter.

Functional cure for type 1 diabetes in mice

Researchers report that rebooting the immune system and transplanting fresh stem cells functionally cured type 1 diabetes in mice. Treated animals either avoided developing diabetes or had their disease reversed, and notably none developed graft‑versus‑host disease, a common complication of cell transplants. The work is an important preclinical step toward approaches that combine immune reset and regenerative therapy.

Ancient, unusual sulfur isotopes in Apollo moon rocks

Samples returned by Apollo missions 50 years ago were reopened and analyzed, revealing unexpected sulfur isotope signatures dating to about 4.5 billion years ago. Planetary scientist James Dottin described the team’s initial disbelief and the careful rechecks that confirmed the surprising result. These isotopic anomalies could shed new light on early solar system chemistry and crust formation on the Moon.

Stem cell therapy shows safety and vision gains for macular degeneration

Early human trials of a stem‑cell transplant aimed at treating age‑related macular degeneration have shown the procedure to be safe. Each patient experienced measurable improvement in the treated eye that was not seen in the untreated eye, supporting the idea that the transplanted cells are providing functional benefit.

Solarion arienae: a candidate for a new branch of life

A previously unknown microorganism, Solarion arienae, discovered in Croatian waters, may represent a distinct, deeply branching lineage on the tree of life. Protistologists Ivan Čepička and Marek Valt say the organism offers a rare window into very ancient chapters of cellular evolution that until now were inferred only indirectly.

What if a tiny black hole passed through your body?

A physicist modeled the hypothetical effects of a tiny black hole traversing a human body. The analysis finds that a black hole must exceed a certain mass threshold before tidal gravity would stretch and 'spaghettify' tissue at catastrophic scales — but by that point a supersonic wake produced by the passage would likely already cause severe damage.

Arginine reduces Alzheimer’s‑linked protein aggregates in lab studies

Laboratory work suggests the supplement arginine — sometimes used for cardiovascular conditions — can reduce toxic protein clumps associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. Neuroscientist Yoshitaka Nagai highlights that arginine is already known to be clinically safe and inexpensive, making it an attractive candidate for repositioning and further study.

Collectively, these stories span practical medical advances, new insights into planetary history and evolution, and imaginative theoretical scenarios. Each development opens avenues for follow‑up work that could translate into clinical trials, new models of early solar system processes, or deeper understanding of life's diversity.