Health Fitness Archives - Page 4 of 7

Researchers make glioblastoma cells visible to attacking immune cells

Even treated with the most advanced therapies, patients with glioblastoma — an aggressive brain cancer — typically survive less than two years after diagnosis. Efforts to treat this cancer with the latest immunotherapies have been unsuccessful, likely because glioblastoma cells have few, if any, natural targets for the immune system to attack. In a cell-based…

Sleepiness during the day may be tied to pre-dementia syndrome

Older people who are sleepy during the day or lack enthusiasm for activities due to sleep issues may be more likely to develop a syndrome that can lead to dementia, according to a study published in the November 6, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. People with…

Five minutes of extra exercise a day could lower blood pressure

New research suggests that adding a small amount of physical activity — such as uphill walking or stair-climbing — into your day may help to lower blood pressure. The study, published in Circulation, was carried out by experts from the ProPASS (Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep) Consortium, an international academic collaboration led by the…

Rethinking electric bus depots as ‘profitable energy hubs’

When it comes to fighting climate change, electric buses are a triple threat: they encourage energy-efficient levels of urban population density; take dozens of polluting vehicles off the street; and don’t release tailpipe emissions. The popularity of this approach presents its own challenges, however: cities can deploy electric buses faster than their power grids can…

Toward better surgical outcomes in patients undergoing knee replacement surgery

When performing knee replacement surgery, also called total knee arthroplasty, doctors traditionally try to align the hip, knee, and ankle in a straight line, forming a neutral alignment, rather than replicating the patient’s original alignment. Now, in an effort to understand which approach is better, researchers from Kyushu University collected convincing evidence in favor of…

Persistent problems with AI-assisted genomic studies

University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers are warning that artificial intelligence tools gaining popularity in the fields of genetics and medicine can lead to flawed conclusions about the connection between genes and physical characteristics, including risk factors for diseases like diabetes. The faulty predictions are linked to researchers’ use of AI to assist genome-wide association studies. Such…

Bacteria breakthrough could accelerate mosquito control schemes

Mosquito larvae grow faster if they’re exposed to particular bacteria, according to a new study that could help global health programmes. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes spread illnesses including dengue, yellow fever and Zika. Anti-disease programmes breed and release non-biting male mosquitoes that are either sterile or prevent transmission of diseases. These mass release programmes can be…

The Salton Sea — an area rich with lithium — is a hot spot for child respiratory issues

Windblown dust from the shrinking Salton Sea harms the respiratory health of children living nearby, triggering asthma, coughing, wheezing and disrupted sleep, USC research shows. The findings also indicate that children living closest to the sea, who are exposed to more dust in the air, may be the most affected. The study, published in Environmental…

New Huntington’s treatment prevents protein aggregation

Scientists at Northwestern and Case Western Reserve universities have developed the first polymer-based therapeutic for Huntington’s disease, an incurable, debilitating illness that causes nerve cells to break down in the brain. Patients with Huntington’s disease have a genetic mutation that triggers proteins to misfold and clump together in the brain. These clumps interfere with cell…

Exposure to particular sources of air pollution is harmful to children’s learning and memory

A new USC study involving 8,500 children from across the country reveals that a form of air pollution, largely the product of agricultural emissions, is linked to poor learning and memory performance in 9- and 10-year-olds. The specific component of fine particle air pollution, or PM2.5, ammonium nitrate, is also implicated in Alzheimer’s and dementia…

Researchers challenge longstanding theories in cellular reprogramming

A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has discovered that a group of cells located in the skin and other areas of the body, called neural crest stem cells, are the source of reprogrammed neurons found by other researchers. Their findings refute the popular theory in cellular reprogramming that any developed cell…

Water fern gains more evidence as safe potential global food insecurity solution

Is the floating freshwater fern commonly called Carolina azolla the potential answer to global food insecurity or a possible threat to humanity? On the heels of a study published earlier this year by researchers at Penn State on the plant’s nutrition and digestibility, the team learned of concerns about the plant’s potential toxin content. The…

Study demonstrates efficacy of iron supplements for children living with HIV

A University of Minnesota Medical School research team has found that giving iron supplements to children living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa could be an important first step in optimizing brain development. The research, published in the journal Lancet HIV, demonstrates that iron, while often withheld from children with HIV due to…

Immune system review provides insight into more effective biotechnology

Macrophage cells are the immune system’s frontline soldiers, early on the scene to protect the body from foreign invaders. These cells answer the immune system’s critical question for the rest of its troops: friend or foe? As critical responders, macrophages can perceive helpful biotechnology as threats. If not created with the right materials or mechanical…

Sleeping for 2: Insomnia therapy reduces postpartum depression, study shows

While many people believe that poor sleep during pregnancy is inevitable, new research has determined that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) while pregnant can not only improve sleep patterns but also address postpartum depression. Researchers from UBC’s Okanagan and Vancouver campuses, as well as the University of Calgary, discovered that delivering CBTi during pregnancy…

Researchers identify ‘sweet spot’ for safe surgery after heart attack

After a heart attack, aging adults face double or triple the risk of life-threatening complications — like a debilitating stroke or another heart attack — when they move forward with elective noncardiac surgeries too soon, according to new University of Rochester research published in JAMA Surgery. A deep dive into the Medicare database of 5.2…

Nanoplastics can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics

In a recent study, an international research team with significant involvement from MedUni Vienna has investigated how nanoplastic particles deposited in the body affect the effectiveness of antibiotics. The study showed that the plastic particles not only impair the effect of the drugs, but could also promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The results of…

Smell loss linked to 100-plus diseases

Researchers from the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities, reveal a powerful link between olfactory loss and inflammation in a staggering 139 medical conditions. This research — led by professor emeritus Michael Leon, and researchers Cynthia Woo and Emily Troscianko — emphasizes a little-known but…

Crunching fruit fly and human data via machine learning and systems biology results in the identification of key metabolites that impact lifespan in both species

Discoveries that impact lifespan and healthspan in fruit flies are usually tested in mice before being considered potentially relevant in humans, a process that is expensive and time intensive. A pioneering approach taken at the Buck Institute leapfrogs over that standard methodology. Utilizing cutting-edge machine learning and systems biology, researchers analyzed and correlated huge data…

AI in healthcare: New research shows promise and limitations of physicians working with GPT-4 for decision making

Published in JAMA Network Open, a collaborative team of researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School, Stanford University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the University of Virginia studied how well doctors used GPT-4 — an artificial intelligence (AI) large language model system — for diagnosing patients. The study was conducted with 50 U.S.-licensed…

Scientists develop tool to predict sepsis in apparently healthy newborns

A genetic signature in newborns can predict neonatal sepsis before symptoms even start to show, according to a new study. The study, led by UBC and SFU researchers in collaboration with the Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia, has the potential to help healthcare workers diagnose babies earlier, including in lower- and middle-income countries…

Invisible anatomy in the fruit fly uterus

You have likely not spent much time thinking about the uterus of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. But then, neither have most scientists, even though Drosophila is one of the most thoroughly studied lab animals. Now a team of biologists at the University of California, Davis, has taken the first deep look at the Drosophila…

Studying Wikipedia browsing habits to learn how people learn

At one point or another, you may have gone online looking for a specific bit of information and found yourself “going down the Wiki rabbit hole” as you discover wholly new, ever-more fascinating related topics — some trivial, some relevant — and you may have gone so far down the hole it’s difficult to piece…

Scientific discovery scratching beneath the surface of itchiness

Ever had an itchy nose or, worse, an unreachable spot on your back that drives you mad? Now imagine an itch that refuses to go away, no matter how hard or long you scratch. That persistent itch, or pruritus, may actually be one of the skin’s first lines of defense against harmful invaders, according to…

Psychologists develop tool to assess narcissism in job candidates

It feels like narcissism is everywhere these days: politics, movies and TV, sports, social media. You might even see signs of it at work, where it can be particularly detrimental. Is it possible to keep a workplace free of destructive, manipulative egotists? More and more organizations have come to San Francisco State University’s experts in…

Asthma and fine particulate matter

Asthma is currently an incurable disease that severely impairs quality of life, with recurring symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. As of today, about 4 percent of the world’s population suffers from asthma, with more than 30 million new cases arising annually. Evidence suggests that long-term exposure to air pollution of fine…

Skeletal muscle health amid growing use of weight loss medications

A recent commentary published in The Lancet journal highlights the critical importance of skeletal muscle mass in the context of medically induced weight loss, particularly with the widespread use of GLP-1 receptor agonists. These medications, celebrated for their effectiveness in treating obesity, have raised concerns regarding the potential for substantial muscle loss as part of…

Researchers develop low-cost device that detects cancer in an hour

Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have created a portable device that can detect colorectal and prostate cancer more cheaply and quickly than prevailing methods. The team believes the device may be especially helpful in developing countries, which experience higher cancer mortality rates due in part to barriers to medical diagnosis. “Our…

Millions in the U.S. may rely on groundwater contaminated with PFAS for drinking water supplies

Approximately 71 to 95 million people in the Lower 48 states — more than 20% of the country’s population — may rely on groundwater that contains detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, for their drinking water supplies. These findings are according to a U.S Geological Survey study published Oct. 24.…

Mouse study sheds light on secret to maintaining a youthful immune system

What keeps some immune systems youthful and effective in warding off age-related diseases? In a new paper published in Cellular & Molecular Immunology, USC Stem Cell scientist Rong Lu and her collaborators point the finger at a small subset of blood stem cells, which make an outsized contribution to maintaining either a youthful balance or…

What standing on one leg can tell you: Biological age

How long a person can stand — on one leg — is a more telltale measure of aging than changes in strength or gait, according to new Mayo Clinic research. The study appears today in the journal PLOS ONE. Good balance, muscle strength and an efficient gait contribute to people’s independence and well-being as they…

Starving cancer cells of fat may improve cancer treatment

Cutting off cancer cells’ access to fat may help a specific type of cancer treatment work more effectively, reports a study by Van Andel Institute scientists. The findings, published in Cell Chemical Biology, lay the groundwork for developing tailored dietary strategies to help anti-cancer medications better kill malignant cells. “We want to make cancer treatment…

How the coronavirus defeats the innate immune response

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has an enzyme that can counteract a cell’s innate defense mechanism against viruses, explaining why it is more infectious than the previous SARS and MERS-causing viruses. The Kobe University discovery may point the way to the development of more effective drugs against this and possibly similar, future diseases. When a virus…

The transformative power of movies

A new study has found that after watching a docudrama about the efforts to free a wrongly convicted prisoner on death row, people were more empathetic toward formerly incarcerated people and supportive of criminal justice reform. The research, led by a team of Stanford psychologists, published Oct. 21 in Proceedings of the National Academy of…

Sweetened beverage taxes decrease consumption in lower-income households by nearly 50%

Eight cities in the United States have implemented taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, which contribute to health issues including obesity and Type 2 diabetes. New research from the University of Washington investigated responses to sweetened beverage taxes using the purchasing behavior of approximately 400 households in Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland and Philadelphia — all of which…

Study shows that Rett syndrome in females is not just less severe, but different

A new UC Davis MIND Institute study offers critical insights into Rett syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects mostly girls. The research reveals how this condition affects males and females differently, with symptoms progression linked to changes in gene responses in brain cells. Rett syndrome is caused by mutations of the MECP2 gene located…

New study urges enhanced recruitment strategies to help address US primary care physician shortages

Finding sound strategies to meet the growing demand for primary care, especially in underserved areas, is an ongoing public health challenge among policymakers. A new study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute suggests that policy interventions aimed at recruiting physicians to specialize in primary care, especially to practice in underserved areas, should be…

Butterfly brains reveal the tweaks required for cognitive innovation

A species of tropical butterfly with unusually expanded brain structures display a fascinating mosaic pattern of neural expansion linked to a cognitive innovation. The study, published today in Current Biology, investigates the neural foundations of behavioural innovation in Heliconius butterflies, the only genus known to feed on both nectar and pollen. As part of this…

Why breast cancer spreads to bone

Researchers from Tampere University, Finland, and Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey, have developed an in vitro cancer model to investigate why breast cancer spreads to bone. Their findings hold promise for advancing the development of preclinical tools to predict breast cancer bone metastasis. Breast canceris a significant global public health challenge, with 2.3 million new…

‘Paving the way’ for improved treatment of premature aging disease

A new University of Maryland-led discovery could spur the development of new and improved treatments for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a rare genetic disorder with no known cure that causes accelerated aging in children. Published in the journal Aging Cell on October 18, 2024, in collaboration with researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)…

Protein shakeup: Researchers uncover new function of a protein that may unlock age-related illnesses

McMaster University researchers have discovered a previously unknown cell-protecting function of a protein, which could open new avenues for treating age-related diseases and lead to healthier aging overall. The team has found that a class of protective proteins known as MANF plays a role in the process that keep cells efficient and working well. The…

Why do we love carbs? The origins predate agriculture and maybe even our split from Neanderthals

If you’ve ever struggled to reduce your carb intake, ancient DNA might be to blame. It has long been known that humans carry multiple copies of a gene that allows us to begin breaking down complex carbohydrate starch in the mouth, providing the first step in metabolizing starchy foods like bread and pasta. However, it…

Increased autism risk linked to Y chromosome, study finds

Increased risk for autism appears to be linked to the Y chromosome, a Geisinger study found, offering a new explanation for the greater prevalence of autism in males. The results were published today in Nature Communications. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive…

Fearful memories of others seen in mouse brain

How do we distinguish threat from safety? It’s a question important not just in our daily lives, but for human disorders linked with fear of others, such as social anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A microscope image, from the laboratory of Steven A. Siegelbaum, PhD, at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute, displays a powerful technique scientists…

New research reveals how large-scale adoption of electric vehicles can improve air quality and human health

A new study from the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits. The research team used computer simulations to show that aggressive electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, coupled with an ambitious rollout of renewable electricity generation, could…

New test improves diagnosis of allergies

Food allergies are a major health problem worldwide. In some countries, up to 10% of the population is affected, mainly young children. Peanut allergy, in particular, is one of the most common diseases and often manifests itself in severe, potentially life-threatening reactions. The stress of food allergies not only affects the individuals concerned, but also…

Climate change impacts internal migration worldwide

The influence of climate change on migration, both current and future, has garnered significant attention from the public and policymakers over the past decade. A new IIASA-led study has provided the first comprehensive analysis of how climate factors — specifically drought and aridity — affect internal migration. While public discourses often focus on international migration,…

Cord blood cells can build a better human immune system into mice

Immunity plays a central role in the fight against cancer. Many of the current immunotherapies aim at helping the patient’s immune system to better recognize cancer cells — by using engineered antibodies — or by simply providing it with new cells, pre-equipped to search and destroy cancer. Either way, what is paramount is a deep…

Defective sperm doubles the risk of preeclampsia

For the first time, researchers have linked specific frequent defects in sperm to risk of pregnancy complications and negative impacts on the health of the baby. The study from Lund University in Sweden shows that high proportion of father’s spermatozoa possessing DNA strand breaks is associated with doubled risk of preeclampsia in women who have…

Targeting ‘undruggable’ diseases: New levels of detail in targeted protein degradation

Researchers at the University of Dundee have revealed in the greatest detail yet the workings of molecules called ‘protein degraders’ which can be deployed to combat what have previously been regarded as ‘undruggable’ diseases, including cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Protein degrader molecules are heralding a revolution in drug discovery, with more than 50 drugs of…

How your skin tone could affect your meds

Skin pigmentation may act as a “sponge” for some medications, potentially influencing the speed with which active drugs reach their intended targets, a pair of scientists report in a perspective article published in the journal Human Genomics. The researchers argue that a sizable proportion of drugs and other compounds can bind to melanin pigments in…

How do we recognize other people’s emotions?

A person’s facial expression provides crucial information for us to recognize their emotions. But there’s much more to this process than that. This is according to the research conducted by Dr. Leda Berio and Professor Albert Newen from the Institute of Philosophy II at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. The team describes emotion recognition not as…

New paradigm of drug discovery with world’s first atomic editing?

In pioneering drug development, the new technology that enables the easy and rapid editing of key atoms responsible for drug efficacy has been regarded as a fundamental and “dream” technology, revolutionizing the process of discovering potential drug candidates. KAIST researchers have become the first in the world to successfully develop single-atom editing technology that maximizes…

Researchers identify signs tied to more severe cases of RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children due to respiratory complications such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Yet little is understood about why some children develop only mild symptoms while others develop severe disease. To better understand what happens in these cases, clinician-scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding…

Genomic study identifies human, animal hair in ‘man-eater’ lions’ teeth

In 1898, two male lions terrorized an encampment of bridge builders on the Tsavo River in Kenya. The lions, which were massive and maneless, crept into the camp at night, raided the tents and dragged off their victims. The infamous Tsavo “man-eaters” killed at least 28 people before Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, the civil…

A look into ‘mirror molecules’ may lead to new medicines

A University of Texas at Dallas chemist and his colleagues have developed a new chemical reaction that will allow researchers to synthesize selectively the left-handed or right-handed versions of “mirror molecules” found in nature and assess them for potential use against cancer, infection, depression, inflammation and a host of other conditions. The results are important…

Do people with MS have an increased risk of cancer?

A new study has found some cancers to be slightly more frequent in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than in people without MS. The study is published in the October 9, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Types of cancers found to have a small increased risk…

In studying the mating rituals of fruit flies, scientists may have learned something about how brains evolve

Male fruit flies have several tricks for finding a mate, from sensing pheromones in the dark to relying on visual cues in the light. Now, new research reveals that these tiny suitors are leveraging a flexible network of modular brain circuits to quickly adapt to different mating signals. The study, published in Nature, is the…

Viruses are teeming on your toothbrush, showerhead

Step aside tropical rainforests and coral reefs — the latest hotspot to offer awe-inspiring biodiversity lies no further than your bathroom. In a new Northwestern University-led study, microbiologists found that showerheads and toothbrushes are teeming with an extremely diverse collection of viruses — most of which have never been seen before. Although this might sound…

Will AI tools revolutionize public health? Not if they continue following old patterns, researchers argue

As tools powered by artificial intelligence increasingly make their way into health care, the latest research from UC Santa Cruz Politics Department doctoral candidate Lucia Vitale takes stock of the current landscape of promises and anxieties. Proponents of AI envision the technology helping to manage health care supply chains, monitor disease outbreaks, make diagnoses, interpret…

Asymmetric placebo effect in response to spicy food

The expectations humans have of a pleasurable sensation asymmetrically shape neuronal responses and subjective experiences to hot sauce, according to a study published October 8, in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Yi Luo from East China Normal University, Kenneth Kishida from Wake Forest School of Medicine, U.S., and colleagues. Expectations shape our perception, profoundly…

Scientists discover a secret to regulating our body clock, offering new approach to end jet lag

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the University of California, Santa Cruz, have discovered the secret to regulating our internal clock. They identified that this regulator sits right at the tail end of Casein Kinase 1 delta (CK1δ), a protein which acts as a pace setter for our internal biological clock or the natural 24-hour…

Common consumer product chemicals now tied to cardiac electrical changes

Environmental phenols are found in a wide range of common consumer products. They include preservatives in packaged foods, parabens in shampoos and bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic dishware, so humans have broad exposure to them, day in and day out. Some of these environmental phenols are known to have cardiac toxicities. Now, an interdisciplinary study…

Preventing organ transplant rejection | ScienceDaily

Organ transplantation is an incredible medical accomplishment that unfortunately still presents significant unsolved challenges, including rejection by the body’s immune system. Although a lifetime of immune-suppressing medicine is the standard regimen for transplant recipients, this comes with considerable dangers and side effects, including susceptibility to infection and decreased efficacy of vaccines. Now, breakthrough research from…

Multiple myeloma: Cilta-cel found highly effective in real-world study

In the first study to report real-world outcomes from ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy for multiple myeloma, patients experienced efficacy and safety results similar to those seen in clinical trials, according to results published today in Blood. Of 236 patients who received cilta-cel infusions at 16 U.S. medical centers in 2022,…

Drug improves effectiveness of radiation for lung cancer that has spread to the brain

In new research, a team led by University of Cincinnati researchers has identified a potential new way to make radiation more effective and improve outcomes for patients with lung cancer that has spread to the brain. The study, led by first author Debanjan Bhattacharya, PhD, was recently published in the journal Cancers. Research background According…

Role of ophthalmic acid in motor function control

A research team from the University of California, Irvine is the first to reveal that a molecule in the brain — ophthalmic acid — unexpectedly acts like a neurotransmitter similar to dopamine in regulating motor function, offering a new therapeutic target for Parkinson’s and other movement diseases. In the study, published in the October issue…

Real-time data shows what happens when people lose their balance

Researchers at Virginia Tech are using wrist-worn voice recorders to capture real-world data to better understand what happens when people lose their balance. The study, led by Michael Madigan in the College of Engineering, builds on years of his own foundational work and prior research conducted by the University of Michigan Medical School. “In the…

New therapeutic target for cardiac arrhythmias emerges

A new study by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix and the University of California Davis Health identified a new target for developing a therapy to treat atrial fibrillation, the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm. Atrial fibrillation, commonly called AFib or AF, causes about 1 in 7 strokes,…

How doxycycline for STI prevention affects the gut microbiome

Taking a dose of the oral antibiotic doxycycline after a high-risk sexual encounter has dramatically reduced the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in places where the strategy is being tried. Despite its effectiveness, the new strategy, known as doxy-PEP, may come with risks, especially with chronic use. Experts worry about the impact on the…

Turning brain cells on using the power of light

University of Rochester researchers have demonstrated a noninvasive method using BL-OG, or bioluminescent optogenetics, that harnesses light to activate neurons in the brain. The ability to regulate brain activation could transform invasive procedures such as deep brain stimulation that are used to treat Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. The advantage of this new technique…

Plant compound used in traditional medicine may help fight tuberculosis

A compound found in African wormwood — a plant used medicinally for thousands of years to treat many types of illness — could be effective against tuberculosis, according to a new study that is available online and will be published in the October edition of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. The team, co-led by Penn State…

Unpacking polar sea ice | ScienceDaily

Polar sea ice is ever-changing. It shrinks, expands, moves, breaks apart, reforms in response to changing seasons, and rapid climate change. It is far from a homogenous layer of frozen water on the ocean’s surface, but rather a dynamic mix of water and ice, as well as minute pockets of air and brine encased in…

Research in 4 continents links outdoor air pollution to differences in children’s brains

Outdoor air pollution from power plants, fires and cars continues to degrade human, animal and environmental health around the globe. New research shows that even pollution levels that are below government air-quality standards are associated with differences in children’s brains. A University of California, Davis, research team systematically analyzed 40 empirical studies, the majority of…

Airborne plastic chemical levels shock researchers

A new study documents how Southern Californians are chronically being exposed to toxic airborne chemicals called plasticizers, including one that’s been banned from children’s items and beauty products. Plasticizers are chemical compounds that make materials more flexible. They are used in a wide variety of products ranging from lunchboxes and shower curtains to garden hoses…

Thaumatin: Natural sweetener with anti-inflammatory potential

A new study by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich shows for the first time that bitter tasting protein fragments (peptides) are produced in the stomach during the digestion of the natural sweetener thaumatin. In a cellular test system, the peptides are able to stimulate the acid secretion…

Could a bout of COVID protect you from a severe case of flu?

More than 200 viruses can infect and cause disease in humans; most of us will be infected by several over the course of a lifetime. Does an encounter with one virus influence how your immune system responds to a different one? If so, how? Does it weaken your defenses, boost them, or have some other…

Babies born after fertility treatment have higher risk of heart defects, study suggests

The risk of being born with a major heart defect is 36% higher in babies who were conceived after assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), according to results of a very large study published in the European Heart Journal today. Researchers say the finding is important since congenital heart defects are the…

How are pronouns processed in the memory-region of our brain?

Read the following sentence: “Donald Trump and Kamala Harris walked into the bar, she sat down at a table.” We all immediately know that it was Kamala who sat at the table, not Donald. Pronouns like “she” help us to understand language, but pronouns can have multiple meanings. Depending on the context, we understand who…

Research reveals impact of gut microbiome on hormone levels in mice

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have shown that the balance of bacteria in the gut can influence symptoms of hypopituitarism in mice. They also showed that aspirin was able to improve hormone deficiency symptoms in mice with this condition. People with mutations in a gene called Sox3 develop hypopituitarism, where the pituitary gland doesn’t…

Scientists design new drug to fight malaria

In 2022, nearly 619,000 global deaths due to malaria were caused by Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent, prevalent, and deadly human malaria parasite. For decades, the parasite’s resistance to all antimalarial drugs has posed a big challenge for researchers working to stop the spread of the disease. A team led by scientists at UC Riverside,…

Rates of sudden unexpected infant death changed during the COVID-19 pandemic

The risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, especially in 2021, according to a new study led by researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine. Monthly increases in SUID in 2021 coincided with a resurgence of seasonal respiratory…

How social structure influences the way people share money

People around the globe often depend on informal financial arrangements, borrowing and lending money through social networks. Understanding this sheds light on local economies and helps fight poverty. Now, a study co-authored by an MIT economist illuminates a striking case of informal finance: In East Africa, money moves in very different patterns depending on whether…

A method of ‘look twice, forgive once’ can sustain social cooperation

The theory of indirect reciprocity holds that people who earn a good reputation by helping others are more likely to be rewarded by third parties, but widespread cooperation depends on agreement about reputations. In most theoretical models examining how reputations impact people’s desire to cooperate with one another, reputations are binary — good or bad…

Unexpected immune response may hold key to long-term cancer remission

Results from a preclinical study in mice, led by EPFL, and a collaborative clinical study in patients show that the type 2 immune response — associated with parasitic infection and thought to play a negative role in cancer immunity — is positively correlated with long-term cancer remission. In 2012, 7-year-old Emily Whitehead became the first…

Single-dose gene therapy is potentially life-changing for adults with hemophilia B

Adults with hemophilia B saw their number of bleeding episodes drop by an average of 71 percent after a single infusion of gene therapy, according to the results of an international Phase III clinical trial published today in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine…

Pigs may be transmission route of rat hepatitis E to humans

New research suggests that pigs may function as a transmission vehicle for a strain of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) common in rats that has recently been found to infect humans. The Rocahepevirus ratti strain is called “rat HEV” because rats are the primary reservoir of the virus. Since the first human case was reported…

Psychedelics excite cells in hippocampus to reduce anxiety

A classic psychedelic, similar to LSD, psilocybin and mescalin, was found to activate a cell type in the brain that silences other neighboring neurons, a result that provides insight into how such drugs reduce anxiety, according to a new study. The findings show the psychedelic DOI (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine) lessened anxiety in mice and rats while activating…

Better together: Gut microbiome communities’ resilience to drugs

Many human medications can directly inhibit the growth and alter the function of the bacteria that constitute our gut microbiome. EMBL Heidelberg researchers have now discovered that this effect is reduced when bacteria form communities. In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from EMBL Heidelberg’s Typas, Bork, Zimmermann, and Savitski groups, and many EMBL alumni, including Kiran…

Climate science: How a believer becomes a skeptic

A study of mostly climate science believers shows just how easily information — and misinformation — can blur people’s sense of the truth. All it takes is repetition. In recent research published in the journal PLOS ONE, USC and Australian researchers explored the powerful effect of repetition on people’s beliefs. In two rounds studies, they…

Paving the way for new treatments

Researchers have created a computer program that can unravel the mysteries of how proteins work together — giving scientists valuable insights to better prevent, diagnose and treat cancer and other diseases. The tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to build the three-dimensional atomic structure of large protein complexes.

Wastewater monitoring can detect foodborne illness

First used in the 1940s to monitor for polio, wastewater surveillance proved such a powerful disease monitoring tool that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the National Wastewater Surveillance System to support SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in September of 2020. Now, a team of scientists from Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of…

Unlocking the potential of patient-derived organoids for personalized sarcoma treatment

Investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed the largest collection of sarcoma patient-derived organoids to date that can help improve the understanding of the disease and better identify therapies that are most likely to work for each individual patient. The approach, detailed in the journal Cell Stem Cell, uses patients’ own…

Researchers identify sex-based differences in immune responses against tumors

Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine investigated differences in T-cell responses between male and female patients with lung cancer that may help direct future treatments. T-cell responses are part of the adaptive immune system, part of the body’s “smart system” that monitors for threats and fights them with customized defenses. “Therapies that use…

A two-dose schedule could make HIV vaccines more effective

One major reason why it has been difficult to develop an effective HIV vaccine is that the virus mutates very rapidly, allowing it to evade the antibody response generated by vaccines. Several years ago, MIT researchers showed that administering a series of escalating doses of an HIV vaccine over a two-week period could help overcome…

Fever drives enhanced activity, mitochondrial damage in immune cells

Fever temperatures rev up immune cell metabolism, proliferation and activity, but they also — in a particular subset of T cells — cause mitochondrial stress, DNA damage and cell death, Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have discovered. The findings, published Sept. 20 in the journal Science Immunology, offer a mechanistic understanding for how cells respond…

Scientists turn to human skeletons to explore origins of horseback riding

As anyone who’s spent time in the saddle knows, riding a horse can be hard on your body. But can it change the way your skeleton looks? The answer, according to archaeologists from the University of Colorado Boulder: It’s complicated. In a new study, the team drew on a wide range of evidence — from…

Study reveals gaps in access to long-term contraceptive supplies

Oregon Health & Science University researchers have found that despite legislation in 19 states requiring insurers to cover a 12-month supply of contraception, patients aren’t receiving a year’s worth of their prescription; most receive just three months or less. Their study recently published in the journal JAMA Health Forum shows that policies requiring coverage of…

Nonfatal opioid overdoses in youth spiked during pandemic

Drug overdose mortality has risen faster among adolescents than the general population in recent years, largely due to fentanyl, a potent opioid pain medication. A new study published in JAMA sheds light on trends in nonfatal opioid overdoses in youth — an area that was not as well characterized, but key to formulating prevention strategies…

Clinical trial successfully repurposes cancer drug for hereditary bleeding disorder

A drug approved for treating the blood cancer multiple myeloma may offer a safe and effective way to reduce the risk of severe nosebleeds from a rare but devastating bleeding disorder. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), the world’s second-most-common inherited bleeding disorder, affects approximately 1-in-5,000 people and can have life-threatening complications, but there are currently no…

Higher levels of leptin indicate brain protection against late-life dementia

New research is more closely linking obesity to dementia. Higher levels of leptin, a hormone that helps maintain normal body weight, is associated with better signal-transmitting brain white matter in middle-aged adults, according to a study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio). “The findings support the…

Ultra-low-dose ketamine can curb opioid withdrawal

Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury deaths in young adults in the United States, with fentanyl causing over 70,000 deaths annually. Many people who use fentanyl become trapped in their addiction out of fear and a low tolerance for the withdrawal symptoms, which include muscle cramps, nausea, chills, sweats and intense cravings. They…

Paving the way for antivirals against Ebola virus and its deadly relatives

At this moment, the world has few tools to combat deadly filoviruses, such as Ebola and Marburg viruses. The only approved vaccine and antibody treatments protect against just one filovirus species. Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are working to guide the development of new antivirals by leading some clever enemy reconnaissance. These…

Lower neighborhood opportunity may increase risk for preterm birth

A new study suggests that neighborhoods with fewer educational, health, environmental, and socioeconomic resources may increase one’s risk for preterm birth and contribute to the racial gap in preterm birth in the Commonwealth. Preterm birth, defined as a live birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy, is the second-leading cause of infant mortality in the United…

Getting autism right | ScienceDaily

To a group of autistic adults participating in a Rutgers study, giddiness manifests like “bees”; small moments of joy are like “a nice coffee in the morning” that yields “a sense of elevation”; anger starts with a “body-tensing” boil, then headaches. Contrary to common perceptions and years of research that autistic people can’t describe their…

Breakthrough is a game changer in heart valve technology

Now, a team of UBC Okanagan researchers believe they have found a way to harness the strengths of both technologies in a way that could be life-changing — and life-saving — for many. Dr. Hadi Mohammadi and his fellow researchers in the Heart Valve Performance Laboratory at UBC Okanagan are focused on developing the mechanical…

Babies born to women consuming a high fat, sugary diet at greater risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in later life

Babies born to pregnant women with obesity are more likely to develop heart problems and diabetes as adults due to fetal damage caused by the high-fat, high-energy diet of their mother. That’s the groundbreaking finding from a new study published in the Journal of Physiology that shows for the first time that maternal obesity alters…

Antibody-drug conjugate found effective against brain metastases in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer

A drug that delivers chemotherapy directly to tumors has shown impressive activity against some of the hardest-to-reach cancer cells: those that have spread to the brain in patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. The findings, from an international clinical trial led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers, reinforce earlier findings of the benefits of the drug…

Key factors that impact long-term weight loss in patients prescribed GLP-1 RA medications

A Cleveland Clinic study identified key factors that can impact the long-term weight loss of patients with obesity who were prescribed injectable semaglutide or liraglutide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes or obesity. The study was published in JAMA Network Open. “In patients with obesity who were prescribed semaglutide or liraglutide, we found that…

Experimental mRNA cancer vaccine shows potential for advanced stage cancer patients in Phase 1 trial

Interim data from the Phase I dose escalation part of the mRNA cancer immunotherapy (mRNA-4359), show promise in patients with advanced solid cancers. The investigational mRNA cancer immunotherapy is targeted for patients with lung cancer, melanoma and other solid tumours. Nineteen patients with advanced stage cancers received between one and nine doses of the immunotherapy…

New method for fingerprint analysis holds great promise

A groundbreaking study has made it possible to extract much more information from fingerprints as evidence than what is currently achievable. A new study from the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University is the first in the world to analyze fingerprints on gelatin lifters using chemical imaging. This could be crucial in criminal cases…

Supported youth become supportive adults, researchers find

Adolescents who had emotional support from friends and relatives, and who were biologically prepared to respond well to others, were more likely to exhibit prosocial behavior and empathy for others as they entered young adulthood, compared to adolescents without that kind of backing. The findings came from a recent University of California, Davis, study of…

Genetic carriers for sickle cell disease have higher risks of blood clots across diverse ancestries

National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers and collaborators have found that being a carrier for sickle cell disease, known as having sickle cell trait, increases the risk of blood clots, a risk that is the same among diverse human populations that may not traditionally be associated with sickle cell disease. The study provides estimated clinical…

New insights could help prevent psychosis relapses in youth and young adults

New findings from McGill University researchers could help clinicians understand the course of delusions in youth and young adults that signal the need for a timely intervention to prevent a full relapse of psychosis. Delusions — strong beliefs that don’t align with commonly accepted reality — are a defining symptom of psychosis but are not…

Clinical trials inappropriately excluding people of African/Middle Eastern descent, new research shows

Many clinical trials of new cancer drugs may be inappropriately excluding some people with “Duffy-null phenotype,” a trait found predominantly in people of African or Middle Eastern descent, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Queen Mary University of London report in a new study. The Duffy-null phenotype results in relatively lower levels of white blood…

Can chatbots help with genetic testing for cancer risk?

In a study from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) and NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, researchers found that a specialized chatbot can effectively assist patients in deciding whether to pursue genetic testing, offering an alternative to traditional genetic counseling. Kimberly Kaphingst, ScD, research director of the Genetic Counseling Shared Resource…

Women with asthma are more likely to miscarry and need fertility treatment

Women who are being treated for asthma are more likely to miscarry and need fertility treatment to get pregnant, according to a large study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria. However, the study also suggests that most women with asthma are able to have babies. The study was presented by…

New AI can ID brain patterns related to specific behavior

Maryam Shanechi, the Sawchuk Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and founding director of the USC Center for Neurotechnology, and her team have developed a new AI algorithm that can separate brain patterns related to a particular behavior. This work, which can improve brain-computer interfaces and discover new brain patterns, has been published in the…

Researchers develop analytical pipeline to identify unexploited genes that hold research value

A research team from Hiroshima University has developed an analysis pipeline to identify unexploited genes for a given disease against five databases that provide gene-disease associations. They used their pipeline to study oxidative stress and its related disease, Parkinson’s disease, as a case study. Their results are published in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease on…

Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues

As Utah’s Great Salt Lake shrinks, exposing more of its playa, concerns grow about the dust the dry lakebed emits. But scientists lack the data to fully understand what pollutants are present in these airborne sediments. Researchers from the University of Utah are attempting to get a handle on this question and the latest findings…

Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression

Cognitive behavioral therapy, one of the most common treatments for depression, can teach skills for coping with everyday troubles, reinforce healthy behaviors and counter negative thoughts. But can altering thoughts and behaviors lead to lasting changes in the brain? New research led by Stanford Medicine has found that it can — if a therapy is…

Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence

Older women struggling with urinary incontinence can benefit from regular, low-impact exercise, with yoga as well as stretching and strengthening showing benefits in a new study published Aug. 27 in Annals of Internal Medicine. The research, led by scientists at Stanford Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco, is part of a larger effort…

Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease

Older adults who are more vulnerable to financial scams may have brain changes linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the fifth leading cause of death among…

Saline nasal drops reduce the duration of the common cold in young children by two days

Using hypertonic saline nasal drops can reduce the length of the common cold in children by two days, according to a study that will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria [1]. They can also reduce the onward transmission of colds to family members. The results of the ELVIS-Kids randomised…

100x improvement in sight seen after gene therapy trial

The vision of people with a rare inherited condition that causes them to lose much of their sight early in childhood was 100 times better after they received gene therapy to address the genetic mutation causing it. Some patients even experienced a 10,000-fold improvement in their vision after receiving the highest dose of the therapy,…

New research on anesthesia unlocks important clues about the nature of consciousness

For decades, one of the most fundamental and vexing questions in neuroscience has been: what is the physical basis of consciousness in the brain? Most researchers favor classical models, based on classical physics, while a minority have argued that consciousness must be quantum in nature, and that its brain basis is a collective quantum vibration…

Travel could be the best defense against aging

Forget about retinol night creams, researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) believe travel could be the best way to defy premature ageing. For the first time, an interdisciplinary study has applied the theory of entropy to tourism, finding that travel could have positive health benefits, including slowing down the signs of ageing. Entropy is classified…

Researchers identify mechanism underlying allergic itching, and show it can be blocked

Why do some people feel itchy after a mosquito bite or exposure to an allergen like dust or pollen, while others do not? A new study has pinpointed the reason for these differences, finding the pathway by which immune and nerve cells interact and lead to itching. The researchers, led by allergy and immunology specialists…

Prescribing nature can improve happiness and reduce anxiety

A £5.77m cross-governmental funded project has shown that expanding access to Green Social Prescribing can promote wellbeing and improve mental health. Researchers from the University of Exeter — in partnership with the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, and University of Plymouth — have today (September 4) published a report for the Department for Environment,…

Ketamine clinics vary widely in pregnancy-related safeguards

More hospitals and clinics now offer patients ketamine therapy for severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions that haven’t responded to other treatments. While ketamine is a safe medication when used with medical supervision, it does have a little-known complication: it may be very harmful to a developing fetus. It should not…

Novel chemical tool aims to streamline drug-making process

The invention of a tool capable of unlocking previously impossible organic chemical reactions has opened new pathways in the pharmaceutical industry to create effective drugs more quickly. Traditionally, most drugs are assembled using molecular fragments called alkyl building blocks, organic compounds that have a wide variety of applications. However, because of how difficult it can…

Young adults let down by ‘postcode lottery’ for ADHD treatment in UK

A national survey in the UK conducted as part of University of Exeter research has found huge variation in treatment for ADHD, highlighting the struggle many young adults face once they turn 18. Researchers have warned that the current system is failing many young adults as they transition from children’s to adult’s services — suddenly…

Global South cities lack cooling green spaces

Cities in the Global South are more exposed to extreme heat because they lack cooling green spaces, new research shows. The study found that Global South cities have just 70% of the “cooling capacity” provided by urban greenery in the Global North. With temperatures rising, combined with the “urban heat island” effects that make cities…

Wearable heart monitor increases diagnosis of irregular heart rhythm

Wearable, long-term continuous heart monitors helped identify 52% more cases of atrial fibrillation compared to usual care, but that did not lead to a reduction in hospitalizations due to stroke, according to a study led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute. The findings, reported Sept. 1 at the European Society of Cardiology meeting and published…

Study combines data, molecular simulations to accelerate drug discovery

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital have found a new method to increase both speed and success rates in drug discovery. The study, published Aug. 30 in the journal Science Advances, offers renewed promise when it comes to discovering new drugs. “The hope is we can speed up…

New findings on TB could change how we treat inflammatory disorders

Tuberculosis is a confounding scourge. It’s the leading cause of death from infectious disease in the world, and yet it’s estimated that those deaths represent perhaps 5% of infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Antibiotics can take credit for saving the lives of some of those with Mtb, but a chasm nevertheless persists between the prevalence…

How hope beats mindfulness when times are tough

A recent study finds that hope appears to be more beneficial than mindfulness at helping people manage stress and stay professionally engaged during periods of prolonged stress at work. The study underscores the importance of looking ahead, rather than living “in the moment,” during hard times. Mindfulness refers to the ability of an individual to…

Is long-term beta-blocker therapy needed after a heart attack?

The cardiovascular safety of interrupting beta-blocker could not be shown in comparison to continuation in patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) and there was no benefit to the patients’ quality of life, according to late-breaking research presented August 30 at ESC Congress 2024.1 “Improvements in MI management and data from observational studies have…

Morphing facial technology sheds light on the boundaries of self-recognition

Facial recognition is a critical part of self-image and social interactions. In an era of advanced digital technology, we face intriguing questions about communication and identity. How does altering our facial identity affect our sense of “self” and our interactions with others? These are questions Dr. Shunichi Kasahara, a researcher in the Cybernetic Humanity Studio…

Researchers attempted to emulate a clinical trial using data from real patients

Researchers used real-world clinical data to attempt to emulate a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of two blood thinners, apixaban and warfarin, to prevent stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. The study, led by Emma Maud Powell at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, and publishing August 29th in the…

Neuroscientists explore the intersection of music and memory

The soundtrack of this story begins with a vaguely recognizable and pleasant groove. But if I stop writing and just listen for a second, the music reveals itself completely. In Freddie Hubbard’s comfortable, lilting trumpet solo over Herbie Hancock’s melodic, repetitive piano vamping, I recognize “Cantaloupe Island.” Then, with my fingers again poised at the…

Autistic traits, behavioral problems in 7-year-olds linked with gender nonconforming play

Gender nonconformity in 7-year-olds — as measured by levels of gender-conforming play — may be associated with autistic traits and behavioral difficulties in girls, and with peer relationship problems in boys, according to a new study published August 28, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Marlene Stratmann of Karlstad University, Sweden, and colleagues.…

Discovery of how blood clots harm brain and body in COVID-19 points to new therapy

In a study that reshapes what we know about COVID-19 and its most perplexing symptoms, scientists have discovered that the blood coagulation protein fibrin causes the unusual clotting and inflammation that have become hallmarks of the disease, while also suppressing the body’s ability to clear the virus. Importantly, the team also identified a new antibody…

New insight into the protein mutations that cause Rett syndrome

One particular protein lies at the heart of brain development. A master regulator of gene expression, it’s abundantly present in neurons, and its dysfunction underlies Rett syndrome, a neurological disorder that could lead to severe cognitive, motor, and communication impairments in young girls. Yet scientists understand little about how this essential protein does its crucial…

Brain research: Study shows what your favorite film genres reveal about your brain

Crime films, action films, comedies, or documentaries? A person’s favourite film genre reveals a lot about how their brain works. This is the finding of a new study led by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) that compared data on film preferences with recordings of the brain activity of around 260 people. Fans of action…

Public trust in drinking water safety is low globally

A new study finds more than half of adults surveyed worldwide expect to be seriously harmed by their water within the next two years. Led by global health experts at Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the study sought to understand public perceptions of drinking water safety. Because perceptions shape…

Good sleep habits important for overweight adults

New research from Oregon Health & Science University reveals negative health consequences for people who are overweight and ignore their body’s signals to sleep at night, with specific differences between men and women. The study published this week in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. “This study builds support for the importance of good…

Bioengineers develop lotus leaf-inspired system to advance study of cancer cell clusters

The lotus leaf is a pioneer of self-cleaning, water-repellant engineering. Water droplets all but hover on its surface, whose unique texture traps air in its nanosized ridges and folds. Rice University bioengineers report harnessing the lotus effect to develop a system for culturing cancer cell clusters that can shed light on hard-to-study tumor properties. The…

Placebos reduce stress, anxiety, depression — even when people know they are placebos

A study out of Michigan State University found that nondeceptive placebos, or placebos given with people fully knowing they are placebos, effectively manage stress — even when the placebos are administered remotely. Researchers recruited participants experiencing prolonged stress from the COVID-19 pandemic for a two-week randomized controlled trial. Half of the participants were randomly assigned…

Study finds nearly half of U.S. counties have at least one ‘pharmacy desert’

Nearly half of counties in the United States have at least one ‘pharmacy desert’ where there is no retail pharmacy within 10 miles, according to a new study published by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC — James). “As…

A switch for immune memory and anti-tumor immunity

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has identified a metabolic switch in the immune system’s T cells that is essential to the generation of memory T cells — which confer lasting immunity to previously encountered pathogens — and a T cell subtype found in tumors that drives anti-tumor responses during immunotherapy. Led by Ludwig Lausanne’s Ping-Chih…

Researcher finds sound progress in babies’ speech development

The sounds babies make in their first year of life may be less random than previously believed, according to a language development researcher from The University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Pumpki Lei Su, an assistant professor of speech, language, and hearing in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, is co-lead author on two…

Mouse study: Proteins do the damage in fetal abdominal inflammation

Inflammation of the abdominal cavity in human fetuses resulting from a perforation of their intestine is likely to be caused by proteins contained in the fetal stool. This is the result of a Kobe University study that establishes a new mouse model allowing research and drug development for a condition that is otherwise difficult to…

Macrophage mix helps determine rate and fate of fatty liver disease

Formerly known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is an inflammatory disease characterized by liver scarring or fibrosis that progressively impairs liver function. It is a major risk factor for cirrhosis and liver cancer. And because treatment options are limited, MASH is the second leading cause for liver transplants in the United States after…

The changes to cell DNA that could revolutionize disease prevention

University of Queensland researchers have discovered a mechanism in DNA that regulates how disease-causing mutations are inherited. Dr Anne Hahn and Associate Professor Steven Zuryn from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute said the findings could provide a promising therapeutic avenue to stop the onset of heritable and age-related diseases. “Mitochondrial DNA is essential for cell function,”…

Gut molecule slows fat burning during fasting

In a struggle that probably sounds familiar to dieters everywhere, the less a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worm eats, the more slowly it loses fat. Now, scientists at Scripps Research have discovered why: a small molecule produced by the worms’ intestines during fasting travels to the brain to block a fat-burning signal during this time.…

Compound in rosemary extract can reduce cocaine sensitivity

A team of researchers led by the University of California, Irvine has discovered that an antioxidant found in rosemary extract can reduce volitional intakes of cocaine by moderating the brain’s reward response, offering a new therapeutic target for treating addiction. The study, recently published online in the journal Neuron, describes team members’ focus on a…

How early-life antibiotics turn immunity into allergy

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have shown for the first time how and why the depletion of microbes in a newborn’s gut by antibiotics can lead to lifelong respiratory allergies. In a study published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, a research team from the school of biomedical engineering (SBME)…

For some older adults with kidney failure, dialysis may not be the best option

Whether dialysis is the best option for kidney failure and, if so, when to start, may deserve more careful consideration, according to a new study. For older adults who were not healthy enough for a kidney transplant, starting dialysis when their kidney function fell below a certain threshold — rather than waiting — afforded them…

Heart data unlocks sleep secrets

We know that quality sleep is as essential to survival as food and water. Yet, despite spending a third of our lives in slumber, it largely remains a scientific mystery. Not that experts haven’t tried. Sleep analysis, also known as polysomnography, is used to diagnose sleep disorders by recording multiple types of data, including brain…

What the trained eye cannot see: Detecting movement defects in early stage Parkinson’s disease

A technique that uses videos and machine learning to quantify motor symptoms in early-stage Parkinson’s disease could help reveal signs of the disease and other movement disorders earlier, which could lead to better treatment outcomes. In a study just published in Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, a team of researchers from the University of Florida and…

Rare diseases point to connections between metabolism and immunity

Inherited diseases of metabolism and immunity have more in common than previously recognized, according to a new study published in the journal Science Immunology. The findings point to a new set of metabolic genes that are important for the function of immune system T cells, and they offer insights that could improve care for patients…

Eyes on the field: How researchers are working to revolutionize NFL officiating

Hamza Memon and Nicholas Panzo, students at Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine (ENMED), are leading an innovative project at the intersection of sports and ophthalmology to improve National Football League (NFL) officiating . Rooted deeply in Houston’s vibrant sports culture, these Class of 2026 students combine their interest in ophthalmology and their love…

Researchers develop new chemical method to enhance drug discovery

Moffitt Cancer Center researchers have developed a novel reagent that enhances the precision of drug synthesis. This innovative method, published in Nature Communications, introduces a new sulfur fluoride exchange (SuFEx) reagent that allows for highly controlled production of crucial sulfur-based molecules, including sulfinamides, sulfonimidamides and sulfoximines. These compounds are essential in the pharmaceutical industry but…

Engineers design tiny batteries for powering cell-sized robots

A tiny battery designed by MIT engineers could enable the deployment of cell-sized, autonomous robots for drug delivery within in the human body, as well as other applications such as locating leaks in gas pipelines. The new battery, which is 0.1 millimeters long and 0.002 millimeters thick — roughly the thickness of a human hair…

Same person, Different place: Twice the odds of a dementia diagnosis

With new medications on the market or in the works for Alzheimer’s disease and other kinds of dementia, a new study suggests that getting the diagnosis needed to access these new treatments may depend on where you live. The percentage of people who get a new dementia diagnosis each year varies a lot across regions…

Why do researchers often prefer safe over risky projects? Explaining risk aversion in science

A mathematical framework that builds on the economic theory of hidden-action models provides insight into how the unobservable nature of effort and risk shapes investigators’ research strategies and the incentive structures within which they work, according to a study published August 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Kevin Gross from North Carolina State…

Brain wiring is guided by activity even in very early development

In humans, the process of learning is driven by different groups of cells in the brain firing together. For instance, when the neurons associated with the process of recognizing a dog begin to fire in a coordinated manner in response to the cells that encode the features of a dog — four legs, fur, a…

Singing from memory unlocks a surprisingly common musical superpower

New research from UC Santa Cruz is finally giving you the go-ahead to sing in the shower as loud as you want. Because, as it turns out, you probably sound pretty darn good. Psychologists wanted to study “earworms,” the types of songs that get stuck in your head and play automatically on a loop. So…

International study detects consciousness in unresponsive patients

New research co-led by experts at Mass General Brigham found that brain scans can detect consciousness in some patients with brain injury who are unresponsive. In the study, 241 participants with severe brain injury who do not respond when given a simple instruction were assessed with functional MRI (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), or both tests. During…

Australia offers lessons for increasing American life expectancy

Despite being home to some of the world’s most dangerous animals, Australia has led the English-speaking world in life expectancy for the last three decades. As for other high-income Anglophone countries, the Irish saw the largest gains in life expectancy, while Americans have finished dead last since the early 1990s, according to a team of…

Swipe up! Health apps deliver real results en masse

In a new study, researchers synthesised data from 206,873 people across 47 studies, finding that digital health tools — like mobile apps, websites, and text messages — can significantly improve health and wellbeing by keeping you active, boosting steps, and improving your diet and sleep. Specifically, electronic and mobile health interventions can help people achieve:…

Think fast — or not: Mathematics behind decision making

New research from a Florida State University professor and colleagues explains the mathematics behind how initial predispositions and additional information affect decision making. The research team’s findings show that when decision makers quickly come to a conclusion, the decision is more influenced by their initial bias, or a tendency to err on the side of…

Starvation and adhesion drive formation of keratinocyte patterns in skin

Cell-cell adhesion-induced patterning in keratinocytes can be explained by just starvation and strong adhesion, Hokkaido University researchers find. Fingerprints are one of the best-recognised examples of pattern formation by epithelial cells. The primary cells in the epithelium are the keratinocytes, and they are known to form patterns at the microscopic and macroscopic levels. While factors…

The threat of mpox has returned, but public knowledge about it has declined

It has been two years since the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over an outbreak of mpox, a disease endemic to Africa that had spread to scores of countries. Now, in the summer of 2024, a deadlier version of the infectious disease has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to other…

Machine learning approach helps researchers design better gene-delivery vehicles for gene therapy

Gene therapy could potentially cure genetic diseases but it remains a challenge to package and deliver new genes to specific cells safely and effectively. Existing methods of engineering one of the most commonly used gene-delivery vehicles, adeno-associated viruses (AAV), are often slow and inefficient. Now, researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have…

Cutting a few calories won’t hurt your workout

A new UC Riverside study demonstrates that calorie restriction doesn’t deter mice from exercising, challenging the belief that dieting drains workout energy. The study, published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, shows that cutting calories by 20% did not significantly reduce the distance that mice voluntarily chose to run each day. The researchers set out…

Study reveals ways in which 40Hz sensory stimulation may preserve brain’s ‘white matter’

Early-stage trials in Alzheimer’s disease patients and studies in mouse models of the disease have suggested positive impacts on pathology and symptoms from exposure to light and sound presented at the “gamma” band frequency of 40 Hz. A new study zeroes in on how 40Hz sensory stimulation helps to sustain an essential process in which…

Largest protein yet discovered builds algal toxins

While seeking to unravel how marine algae create their chemically complex toxins, scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have discovered the largest protein yet identified in biology. Uncovering the biological machinery the algae evolved to make its intricate toxin also revealed previously unknown strategies for assembling chemicals, which could unlock the development…

Potential new approach to enhancing stem-cell transplants

A discovery by a three-member Albert Einstein College of Medicine research team may boost the effectiveness of stem-cell transplants, commonly used for patients with cancer, blood disorders, or autoimmune diseases caused by defective stem cells, which produce all the body’s different blood cells. The findings, made in mice, were published today in the journal Science.…

Do smells prime our gut to fight off infection?

Many organisms react to the smell of deadly pathogens by reflexively avoiding them. But a recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that the nematode C. elegans also reacts to the odor of pathogenic bacteria by preparing its intestinal cells to withstand a potential onslaught. As with humans, nematodes’ guts are a common…

Electric bandage holds promise for treating chronic wounds

Researchers have developed an inexpensive bandage that uses an electric field to promote healing in chronic wounds. In animal testing, wounds that were treated with these electric bandages healed 30% faster than wounds treated with conventional bandages. Chronic wounds are open wounds that heal slowly, if they heal at all. For example, sores that occur…

3D-printed blood vessels bring artificial organs closer to reality

Growing functional human organs outside the body is a long-sought “holy grail” of organ transplantation medicine that remains elusive. New research from Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) brings that quest one big step closer to completion. A team of scientists created a…

Dozing at the wheel? Not with these fatigue-detecting earbuds

Everyone gets sleepy at work from time to time, especially after a big lunch. But for people whose jobs involve driving or working with heavy machinery, drowsiness can be extremely dangerous — if not outright deadly. Drowsy driving contributes to hundreds of fatal vehicle accidents in the U.S. each year, and the National Safety Council…

Drug bypasses suppressive immune cells to unleash immunotherapy

By recruiting the immune system to combat tumor cells, immunotherapy has improved survival rates, offering hope to millions of cancer patients. However, only about one in five people responds favorably to these treatments. With a goal of understanding and addressing immunotherapy’s limitations, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis have found that…

Genetic ‘episignatures’ guide researchers in identifying causes of unsolved epileptic neurological disorders

To effectively treat a disease or disorder, doctors must first know the root cause. Such is the case for developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), whose root causes can be hugely complex and heterogeneous. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital demonstrated the value of DNA methylation patterns for identifying the root cause of DEEs, showing…

New method tracks how psychedelics affect neurons in minutes

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a rapid, noninvasive tool to track the neurons and biomolecules activated in the brain by psychedelic drugs. The protein-based tool, which is called Ca2+-activated Split-TurboID, or CaST, is described in research published in Nature Methods. There has been mounting interest in the value of psychedelic-inspired compounds…

Horse miscarriages offer clues to causes of early human pregnancy loss

A study of horses — which share many important similarities with humans in their chromosomes and pregnancies — revealed that 42% of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions in the first two months of pregnancy were due to complications from an extra set of chromosomes, a condition called triploidy. “Over that embryonic period [up to eight weeks…

White matter may aid recovery from spinal cord injuries

Injuries, infection and inflammatory diseases that damage the spinal cord can lead to intractable pain and disability. Some degree of recovery may be possible. The question is, how best to stimulate the regrowth and healing of damaged nerves. At the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), scientists are focusing on a previously understudied part…

Allergy cells’ hidden secret | ScienceDaily

Known for their role in allergic reactions, mast cells have long been recognised as key players in our immune system. When they encounter allergens, they release chemicals that trigger typical allergy symptoms such as tissue swelling and inflammation. Now, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg and the University of…

New compound effective against flesh-eating bacteria

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a novel compound that effectively clears bacterial infections in mice, including those that can result in rare but potentially fatal “flesh-eating” illnesses. The compound could be the first of an entirely new class of antibiotics, and a gift to clinicians seeking more effective…

Discovery of a new population of macrophages promoting lung repair after viral infections

Researchers at the University of Liège (Belgium) have discovered a new population of macrophages, important innate immune cells that populate the lungs after injury caused by respiratory viruses. These macrophages are instrumental in repairing the pulmonary alveoli. This groundbreaking discovery promises to revolutionize our understanding of the post-infectious immune response and opens the door to…

New study highlights scale and impact of long COVID

In a new review paper, researchers from the Universities of Arizona, Oxford and Leeds analyzed dozens of previous studies into long COVID to examine the number and range of people affected, the underlying mechanisms of disease, the many symptoms that patients develop, and current and future treatments. Long COVID, also known as Post-COVID-19 condition, is…

What researchers know about the genetic complexity of schizophrenia, to date

Patrick Sullivan, MD, FRANZCP, the Yeargan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine, and researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, have developed a comprehensive outline of the genetics of schizophrenia. The review was published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience. Schizophrenia is a neuropsychiatric disorder featuring recurrent episodes of psychosis…

Drug developed for pancreatic cancer shows promise against most aggressive form of medulloblastoma

A drug that was developed to treat pancreatic cancer has now been shown to increase symptom-free survival in preclinical medulloblastoma models — all without showing signs of toxicity. Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Survival rates vary according to which one of the four subtypes a patient has, but the worst…

Trying to limit calories? Skip the dip, researchers advise

Snacks provide, on average, about one-fourth of most people’s daily calories. With nearly one in three adults in the United States overweight and more than two in five with obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health, researchers in the Penn State Sensory Evaluation Center are investigating how Americans can snack smarter. The latest study…

Generation X and millennials in US have higher risk of developing 17 cancers compared to older generations

A new large study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) suggests incidence rates continued to rise in successively younger generations in 17 of the 34 cancer types, including breast, pancreatic, and gastric cancers. Mortality trends also increased in conjunction with the incidence of liver (female only), uterine corpus, gallbladder, testicular, and colorectal…

Cannabinoid CBG reduces anxiety and stress in first human clinical trial

A lesser-known cannabinoid that is gaining in popularity Cannabigerol (CBG) effectively reduced anxiety in a clinical trial without the intoxication typically associated with whole plant cannabis. It may even have some memory enhancing effects, according to a new study in Scientific Reports. For the study, Carrie Cuttler, an associate professor of psychology at Washington State…

New high-resolution 3D maps show how the brain’s blood vessels changes with age

Healthy blood vessels matter for more than just heart health. Vascular well-being is critical for brain health and potentially in addressing age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease, according to new study led by Penn State researchers. The findings point to an understudied but possible key role the brain’s vascular network — or…

Mucus-based bio-ink could be used to print and grow lung tissue

Lung diseases kill millions of people around the world each year. Treatment options are limited, and animal models for studying these illnesses and experimental medications are inadequate. Now, researchers describe in ACS Applied Bio Materials their success in creating a mucus-based bioink for 3D printing lung tissue. This advance could one day help study and…