Five hopeful science breakthroughs reshaping health and energy

Nature highlights five uplifting science stories from 2025–26: infants can now be treated for malaria with the weight-tailored drug artemether-lumefantrine, reducing infant deaths; six Leigh syndrome patients show mobility and breathing improvements after sildenafil (Viagra) treatment, though more trials are needed; engineered bacteria produce hydrogen from waste bread with a catalyst, cutting greenhouse-gas emissions; researchers extract hydrocarbon-rich biofuel from date-palm leaf fibers, offering a new energy source and waste-management benefit; and a US study finds HPV vaccination in boys and men linked to a 46% reduction in several cancers, underscoring the vaccine’s power for cancer prevention.