SMC Spain

One theory regarding the origin of life on Earth suggests that comets brought the molecular building blocks necessary for life to develop. Now, a team led by the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) is questioning this possibility. Using computer simulations focusing on hydrogen cyanide — an important prebiotic compound — they estimate that, whilst the possibility of such molecules arriving and surviving intact cannot be completely ruled out, the event would be extremely unlikely. “It’s quite a romantic idea, but our results suggest it is highly improbable,” the authors note in a press release. The study is published in Scientific Reports.

A Cochrane review suggests that ergonomic adjustments — such as the use of furniture or tools designed to prevent injuries — do not provide any significant benefit in the treatment of work-related discomfort in the arm, neck or shoulder once these symptoms have already developed. The review analysed 20 trials, involving a total of 2,478 people with this type of work-related discomfort.

The 2026 report by The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change reveals that many of the health risks and harms arising from climate change increased more rapidly in the decade since the signing of the Paris Agreement (2016–2025) than in the previous decade (2006–2015). The report, which draws on the work of 146 researchers from more than 30 countries, calls for climate change to be officially recognised and addressed as a global health emergency, and for health to set the agenda for both climate policies and funding priorities.

The incidence of and mortality from endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining) have been rising in recent years. When diagnosed at an advanced stage, the prognosis is very poor. A phase 3 clinical trial, coordinated across nearly 30 countries—including Spain—has tested a new treatment for patients whose cancer has progressed following chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The drug combines an antibody designed to target the tumor with a chemotherapy agent that is released once the antibody binds to the tumor cells. The trial, which involved 776 women, showed that the new treatment reduced the risk of cancer progression by 41% and the risk of death by 32% during the study period, compared to standard treatment. The findings are being presented at ESMO, the European Society for Medical Oncology congress currently taking place in Madrid, and are being published simultaneously in The Lancet. 

There are inequalities in the mental health of LGBTQIA+ people, supported by highly credible scientific evidence, particularly with regard to depression, suicidal behaviour and symptoms related to eating disorders. These are the main findings of a study led by IDIBAPS and published in the journal World Psychiatry, in which the researchers reviewed 22 systematic reviews with meta-analyses — comprising 398 studies on this topic — and analysed the 162 associations relating to mental health.

The administration of intismeran, a personalised therapeutic cancer vaccine developed from each patient’s tumour, together with pembrolizumab immunotherapy following surgery for high-risk melanoma, reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42 per cent. This phase 3 clinical trial, funded by Moderna and Merck Sharp & Dohme, involved 1,137 patients at very high risk of recurrence who had undergone surgical removal of their melanoma. The companies released preliminary data in August in a press release, and the full results are due to be presented this Saturday at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress being held in Madrid. Ahead of the announcement, the data were leaked yesterday and the share prices of both companies fell. The scientific paper is due to be published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

More than 50,000 people died as a result of extreme heat in European towns and cities during the summer of 2026 – the highest figure recorded to date – according to two new studies published in Nature Health. After analysing 854 urban areas across 30 countries (the EU-27, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland), researchers from Imperial College and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (United Kingdom) have concluded that climate change resulting from the burning of fossil fuels is responsible for two-thirds of these deaths. The five countries most affected were, in this order, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the UK. According to these studies, 6,824 people died from heat-related causes in Spain this summer, of whom 77 per cent can be attributed to climate change.

A European team has developed and tested a wireless electronic device—implantable under the skin—in mice to treat diabetes and obesity (diabesity) without the need for medication. The approach is based on electrocatalysis, which converts excess blood glucose into gluconate—a substance that is subsequently excreted by the kidneys. In a proof-of-concept study involving mice with obesity and type 2 diabetes, the device successfully restored normal blood glucose levels. Furthermore, after six weeks of treatment, it was associated with a reduction in both body weight and triglyceride levels. The results are published in Science.  

During pregnancy, women’s biological age accelerates, and this is partially reversed after childbirth. A review published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests that closely spaced pregnancies may prevent the body from recovering fully and could lead to the accumulation of changes associated with biological ageing, with potential long-term consequences for maternal health. Although further studies are still needed to test this hypothesis, the authors suggest that the time elapsed between pregnancies could be a significant factor in women’s ageing.

The French authorities have announced the first recorded case of human infection with the Shamonda virus. The patient was receiving treatment for a serious illness and died in early October. This virus was first identified in farm animals in Europe this past summer, but had previously been detected in animals outside the continent. It is usually transmitted between animals via the bites of infected midges (Culicoides). It is still unknown how the patient contracted the viral infection and whether this was the direct cause of death. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in a press release has stated that it is monitoring the situation closely.