Health & Medicine

Health & Medicine

Breakthrough in Childhood Brain Cancer Research Promises New Hope

Potential new therapy for childhood brain cancer is effective in infiltrating, killing tumor cells in preclinical models in mice  Brain cancer is the second-leading cause of death in children in the developed world. For the children who survive, standard treatments have long-term impacts on their development and quality of life, particularly in small children and infants. Research out of Emory University and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Queensland, Australia, has shown that a potential new targeted therapy for childhood brain cancer is…

Health & Medicine

Early Adult Mortality Surges in Post-COVID US

New research from Boston University School of Public Health and the University of Minnesota shows that death rates for early adults, or adults aged 25-44, rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain higher than expected post-pandemic.  New research from the University of Minnesota and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) shows that death rates for early adults, or adults aged 25-44, rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain higher than expected post-pandemic. Heightened death rates during the…

Health & Medicine

New Approach for Early Alzheimer’s Disease Detection

Research led by Lancaster University has revealed clear evidence that changes in the orchestration of brain oxygenation dynamics and neuronal function in Alzheimer’s disease contribute to the neurodegeneration. The study “Neurovascular phase coherence is altered in Alzheimer’s Disease” is published in Brain Communications. The lead author is Aneta Stefanovska with Juliane Bjerkan,  Gemma Lancaster, Peter McClintock and Trevor Crawford from Lancaster University and Bernard Meglič and Jan Kobal from the University of Ljubljana Medical Centre in Slovenia. Professor Stefanovska said:…

Health & Medicine

Ozonated Water’s Impact on SARS-CoV-2 in Saliva

Amylase and mucin decrease the effects of ozonated water  Disinfecting surfaces is crucial in keeping bacteria and viruses at bay, but the cleaning solutions could be ineffective if met with neutralizing compounds. Ozonated water has a strong disinfection effect on mold and bacteria, and is also shown to work on SARS-CoV-2, which is responsible for COVID-19. The downside is that ozonated water breaks down quickly in the presence of organic matter, which reduces its effectiveness. SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted through droplets…

Health & Medicine

CAR-T Cells Empower Bystander T Cells Through Trogocytosis

Engineered immune cells called CAR-T cells are used in the treatment of cancer. Researchers from Uppsala University have now discovered that CAR molecules can be transferred from the CAR-T cells to other T cells in the tumour microenvironment. The researchers also pinpoint how this transfer is regulated, which may be used to improve the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy. The study has been published in the journal Science Immunology.  Immune cells have a capacity to exchange cell surface molecules between…

Health & Medicine

New Robotic Surgical Systems Transforming Patient Care

Discover how Huntsman Cancer Institute is transforming surgical care with the new da Vinci 5 robotic systems. Learn about their precision, patient benefits, and commitment to advancing minimally invasive procedures in Utah and the Mountain West.  SALT LAKE CITY— Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) proudly announces the addition of two da Vinci 5 robotic surgical systems. This state-of-the-art technology is designed to enhance precision, control, and safety during minimally invasive surgeries, setting a new standard in…

Health & Medicine

Harnessing Generative AI for Treating Undruggable Diseases

A new platform can design and match small peptides with complex, tangled proteins previously considered unreachable  DURHAM, N.C. — Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed an AI-based platform that designs short proteins, termed peptides, capable of binding and destroying previously undruggable disease-causing proteins. Inspired by OpenAI’s image generation model, their new algorithm can rapidly prioritize peptides for experimental testing. The work appeared Jan. 22 in the journal Science Advances.  One approach to treat disease is to develop therapeutics that…

Health & Medicine

COVID Lockdowns Disrupted Preschoolers’ Social Skills

Research among the first to show pandemic’s effects on children before they become students  Lockdowns. Social distancing. Shuttered schools and businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic and its sweeping disruptions set off a stampede of “what it’s doing to us” research, focused largely on schoolchildren. How were students’ academics affected? Their mental health? Their social development? Left unexamined was whether the pandemic impacted the social cognition of preschool children — kids younger than 6 — whose social norms were upended by day…

Health & Medicine

New Safe Treatments for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Discovered

New options make care faster, safer, and more accessible  Tuberculosis remains one of the top infectious disease killers worldwide, a challenge amplified by drug-resistant forms of the disease. Now, in a major step forward, an international clinical trial has found three new safe and effective drug regimens for tuberculosis that is resistant to rifampin, the most effective of the first-line antibiotics used to treat TB. The research, published Jan. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine, was led by…

Health & Medicine

AI Model Identifies Risk Genes for Parkinson’s Disease

Cleveland Clinic research identifies potential genetic factors influencing Parkinson’s disease and repurposable drugs for Parkinson’s disease treatment Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Genome Center have successfully applied advanced artificial intelligence (AI) genetics models to Parkinson’s disease. Researchers identified genetic factors in progression and FDA-approved drugs that can potentially be repurposed for PD treatment. The npj Parkinson’s Disease report uses an approach called “systems biology,” which uses AI to integrate and analyze multiple different forms of information from genetic, proteomic, pharmaceutical and patient datasets to identify patterns…

Health & Medicine

Mapping Bipolar Disorder: Insights from a Global Study

By exploring structural changes in the brain related to bipolar disorder and comparing them with major depression, two of the most devastating mental health conditions worldwide, the global initiative seeks to pave the way for more effective treatments. A new study, led by USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI), will explore structural alterations in the brains of people with bipolar disorder (BD), a chronic mental illness with one of the highest rates of attempted suicide — and for…

Health & Medicine

New Insights Into Amyloid Protein Structures Unveiled

Insights could advance new drugs to treat the progressive, fatal disease known as transthyretin amyloidosis. LA JOLLA, CA—The tiny protein known as transthyretin can cause big problems in the body when it misfolds after secretion. While healthy transthyretin moves hormones through blood and spinal fluid, misfolded versions of the protein form dangerous clumps in the heart and along nerves—triggering a progressive and fatal disease known as transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR). Up to a quarter of all men over the age of…

Health & Medicine

Innovative Strategies for Managing Type 2 Diabetes in Clinics

Primary care physicians’ responses to treatment burden in people with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative video analysis in China Background and Goal: Managing type 2 diabetes involves complex treatment, workload, and costs that impose a significant burden on individuals, impacting their physical and mental health. This study examines how general practitioners (GPs) in China identify and respond to these burdens during patient consultations. Study Approach: The study examined video recordings of 29 GP-patient consultations recorded between 2018 and 2019 in…

Health & Medicine

Connecting Individual Cells to Plastic Electrodes: A Breakthrough

Researchers at Linköping University have succeeded in creating a close connection between individual cells and organic electronics. The study, published in Science Advances, lays the foundation for future treatment of neurological and other diseases with very high precision. “We could target individual cells and explore how this affected their ability to stay healthy and functional,” says Chiara Musumeci, researcher at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, LOE, at Linköping University. The brain is controlled by electrical signals that are converted into…

Health & Medicine

Parents Report Dental Issues Linked to Kids’ Oral Hygiene Habits

More than a third of parents say their child doesn’t regularly brush teeth twice a day, many kids don’t follow other dental recommendations like flossing More than one in three parents say their child has faced issues like tooth decay, cavities, stained teeth, gum concerns or tooth pain over the past two years, a national poll suggests. And these problems were linked to children’s oral care routine, more commonly experienced among those who skipped dental hygiene recommendations or followed them…

Health & Medicine

Weight-Loss Surgery Reduces Liver Disease Risks in Obese Patients

SPECCIAL study suggests bariatric surgery favorably influences progression of cirrhosis Weight-Loss Surgery Lowers Risk of Developing Complications of Liver Disease in Patients with Cirrhosis and Obesity SPECCIAL study suggests bariatric surgery favorably influences progression of cirrhosis UNDER EMBARGO Monday, January 27, 2025, at 05:00 AM (US Eastern Time) CLEVELAND: A Cleveland Clinic study shows that patients with obesity and fatty liver-related cirrhosis who had bariatric (weight-loss) surgery significantly lowered their future risk of developing serious liver complications compared with patients…

Feedback