On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a "preemptive strike" against Iranian nuclear facilities, as reported by Israeli and international media. This attack, which according to reports also killed the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, has significantly escalated tensions in the Middle East. Iran is threatening retaliation, and asymmetric attacks, including bioterrorism and so-called "dirty bombs," are the focus of security analyses. This analysis examines Iran's potential asymmetric retaliatory measures against the USA, with a particular focus on bioterrorism and radiological weapons, based on peer-reviewed studies and official data. Finally, paths to de-escalation are outlined to prevent a regional conflagration. 1. Background: Israel's Attack and Iran's Strategic Position The Israeli attack targeted strategic sites in Iran, including nuclear facilities perceived as a threat to Israel's security. According to official statements, the USA, Israel's closest ally, was not directly involved, but it did recall its embassy staff… 

A new international cooperation study suggests that pancreatic cancer could be detected early in the future through gut microbes. Gut microbes could also offer solutions for therapy development. Researchers from HUS, the University of Helsinki, the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), and Iran have jointly gained new insights into gut microbes in connection with pancreatic cancer. The researchers analyzed gut microbes from Finnish and Iranian pancreatic cancer patients and their healthy peers. A total of over 180 people participated in the study. The study is part of the doctoral dissertation of doctoral student Heidelinde Sammallahti at the University of Helsinki. The same gut microbes associated with pancreatic cancer were found in patients regardless of their geographical location and ethnic origin. The gut flora of patients with pancreatic cancer contained significantly more facultative pathogens and significantly fewer beneficial bacteria than in the healthy comparison group. In particular, beneficial bacteria from the class of Clostridia, such as the butyric acid-producing Lachnospiraceae, Butyricicoccaceae... 

Researchers have developed an innovative new nanopore sequencing test to identify carriers of Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common cause of monogenic autism spectrum disorders and inherited intellectual disabilities. The study, published in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, published by Elsevier, addresses the urgent need for a screening tool to identify carriers of FXS more comprehensively, faster, more efficiently, and more cost-effectively compared to current methods, thereby enabling better-informed genetic counseling. FXS affects approximately 1 in 7,000 women and 1 in 4,000 men worldwide. Common features include mild to severe intellectual disability, developmental delays in speech and motor skills, behavioral and social problems such as ADHD-like symptoms and autism spectrum disorder symptoms, sensory sensitivities, and sometimes characteristic physical features. Lead researcher Qiwei Guo, PhD, Department of Central Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fujian Key Clinical Specialty of Laboratory Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China, says: "Also...