Stroke and myocardial infarction induce shrinkage of B cell follicles and T cell zone volumes in PP. 3D reconstruction images of CD19+ B cells and CD3+ T cells in PP isolated from duodenum, jejunum and ileum 24?h after stroke or sham surgery. Credit: Nature Cardiovascular Research (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44161-024-00462-8 Every year, between 250,000 and 300,000 […]
Credit: Bruno Abdiel from Pexels A study has found there are no adverse long-term cardiovascular health consequences for the now-adult children of mothers who were given corticosteroids because they were at risk of early birth in a landmark trial conducted in Auckland, New Zealand, 50 years ago. The paper, “Cardiovascular outcomes 50 years after antenatal […]
A small team of medical workers and researchers in the U.S. has published a case study of two men, both deer hunters, who developed a rare prion disease. In their study, published in the journal Neurology, the group describes the symptoms of the two patients and how they died. Prior research has shown that some […]
Credit: Magda Ehlers from Pexels No one can predict the future, but putting together an advance directive can bring you peace of mind and a plan for your medical care during an emergency or end of life. Dr. Maisha Robinson, chair of the Palliative Medicine Department at Mayo Clinic in Florida, advises people to have […]
Data from a 2018 study by the authors shows bursts of brain wave power (warmer colors) at gamma (higher) and beta (lower) frequencies during a working memory task. When beta bursts appear, there are no gamma bursts. But when stimuli (S1) and (S2) are presented, an absence of beta allows gamma bursts to encode the […]
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) depletes the microbial ecosystem within the gastrointestinal tract leading to inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Prebiotics have been shown to alleviate these symptoms by serving as an energy and food source for gut microbes, restoring the microbiome and alleviating IBD symptomology. Credit: Ariaee A, Koentgen S, Wardill HR, et al. A growing […]
As someone who started marathon running in midlife, I know how many aches and pains (and doubts) you can have if you take on the challenge to start running at an older age. But as an orthopedic surgeon who has replaced thousands of worn-out hips and knees throughout my career, I also know just how […]
The American Heart Association calls them “game changers.” Oprah Winfrey says they’re “a gift.” Science magazine anointed them the “2023 Breakthrough of the Year.” Americans are most familiar with their brand names: Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound. They are the medications that have revolutionized weight loss and raised the possibility of reversing the country’s obesity crisis. […]
Imagine your greatest fear. Now, write it down and tell it in first-person, as if it’s happening right now. Vividly describe what it looks, sounds, smells, tastes and feels like. Don’t hold back. Such an exercise could be daunting for anyone, dredging up feelings we try to avoid. But for late-stage cancer patients struggling with […]
Flowchart summarizing study methods. Body shape phenotypes have been derived by a PCA on six anthropometric traits (BMI, weight, height, WHR, WC, and HC). PC1 showed high and same sign loadings for all traits except height. PC2 showed high but opposite loadings for height and WHR. PC3 was characterized by high and same direction loadings […]
Eating right and exercising are important ways to stay mentally and physically healthy. And instead of getting off the couch and hopping on a treadmill, you might want to consider going outdoors and reaping the health benefits of being in nature. And don’t be surprised at your next doctor’s visit when you get a prescription […]
Credit: Cell Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114128 Cleveland Clinic researchers are using artificial intelligence to uncover the link between the gut microbiome and Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies have shown that Alzheimer’s disease patients experience changes in their gut bacteria as the disease develops. The newly published Cell Reports study outlines a computational method to determine how […]
A surprising thing is happening to some women on weight-loss drugs who’ve struggled with fertility issues: They’re getting pregnant. That’s leading to questions about the safety of medications from Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co. during pregnancy. “I thought I couldn’t have any more kids,” said Torria Leggett, 40, who had been trying […]
Substances of human origin (SoHOs) such as blood, plasma, skin, corneas, and embryos play an increasing role in life-saving medical procedures. Governments around the world are reevaluating their health care policies to ensure of a supply of SoHOs for their population, while also considering the best-interests of both donors and patients. A paper published in […]
Generation of volumetric and 3D-spatial data sets of the complete ?-cell distribution across the human pancreas. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47686-7 Researchers at Umeå University have succeeded in imaging an entire human organ, a pancreas, in microscopic resolution. By staining different cell-types with antibodies and then using optical 3D imaging techniques to study the […]
Credit: Veronica from Pexels Mexico is leading the way in implementing taxes on unhealthy food options, successfully helping to tackle obesity and related health issues. Taxes on foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) reduce the sale, purchase and consumption of those foods, according to a new analysis of evidence from around […]
Of all the issues in psychiatry, even in all of medicine, suicide may be the most challenging to discuss responsibly in public. Any suicide is a tragedy. We know that language matters, and that using helpful and respectful language reduces stigma, making it easier to talk more openly and safely about suicide and its prevention. […]
Another broiling summer looms, along with another season of kids’ summer sports. It’s a potentially harmful, even lethal combination. But experts at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) have advice for kids, parents and coaches on how to keep young athletes safe when thermometers rise. Each year, an estimated 240 people die from heat-linked illnesses, and heat […]
For non-critically ill patients with urinary tract infection (UTI), computerized provider order entry (CPOE) prompts providing patient- and pathogen-specific multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) risk estimates can reduce empiric extended-spectrum antibiotic use, according to a study published online April 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Shruti K. Gohil, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of […]
In the past decade, immunotherapy has emerged as the fourth pillar of cancer treatment, joining surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It is an approved treatment for 15 cancers, including melanoma and some types of lymphomas and leukemias, but it is not effective in all cancers or in all patients. Immunotherapy uses a patient’s own cancer-fighting cells, […]
A study by researchers at National Jewish Health published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that air pollutants—including particulate matter, pollen, greenhouse gases, and other harmful substances—can contribute to the development and exacerbation of allergic diseases by disrupting the skin barrier. “People are aware of the connection between pollution and respiratory disease, […]
Plenty of studies link exposure to the natural world and improved mental and physical health, but a new Cornell study connects enjoyment of nature to a specific biological process—inflammation. Led by Anthony Ong, professor in the Department of Psychology and director of the Center for Integrative Developmental Science (CIDS) in the College of Human Ecology, […]
Health concerns are still the primary motive for more than half of those who say they want to stop smoking in England, but cost is now a key factor for more than 1 in 4, finds an analysis of national survey responses, published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health. Given this shift in […]
Katherine Goodlow is only 20, but she has experienced enough to know that people around her are dying too young. Goodlow, a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, said she’s lost six friends and acquaintances to suicide, two to car crashes, and one to appendicitis. Four of her relatives died in their 30s or […]
Visual impairment is associated with an increased risk for suicide, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published online April 18 in JAMA Network Open. Chung Young Kim, M.D., from the Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea, and colleagues examined the association between visual impairment and different aspects of suicide. The primary outcome measure […]
Parents describe their biggest challenges with making sure their child gets a healthy diet as the child being a picky eater, the higher cost of healthy food and food waste. Fewer say they don’t have time to prepare healthy food. Credit: Sara Schultz, University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s […]
Credit: Anna Shvets from Pexels Long-term daily use of aspirin can help to prevent the development and progression of colorectal cancer, but the mechanisms involved have been unclear. New research has revealed that aspirin may exert these protective effects by boosting certain aspects of the body’s immune response against cancer cells. The findings are published […]
Chromatograms of smartphone swabs of cocaine directly consumed on the smartphone and X-MMC, LSD, and 2-CB. Credit: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) (2024). DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2024-0242 A simple and convenient method to collect drug use data from the surface of a smartphone has been revealed for the first time in a new study published in […]
Credit: ELEVATE from Pexels When drinking choices are perceived as “just one drink,” with each single drink representing relatively slight risk, it may ironically lead to heavier drinking and alcohol-related harms. That’s the finding of a novel study exploring the decision-making process around binge drinking. A better understanding of how people think about heavy episodic […]
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is crossing a new frontier, as the game may soon be used as a form of psychological therapy. Over the last five years, I have researched possibilities for the game’s clinical implementation, as well as potential hurdles. The therapeutic interest in the game only arose in the last five years, when […]
State-of-the-art artificial intelligence systems known as large language models (LLMs) are poor medical coders, according to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Their study, published in the April 19 online issue of NEJM AI, emphasizes the necessity for refinement and validation of these technologies before considering clinical implementation. The study extracted […]
Credit: The Conversation Chemists invented PFAS in the 1930s to make life easier: Nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant carpet were all made possible by PFAS. But in recent years, the growing number of health risks found to be connected to these chemicals has become increasingly alarming. PFAS—perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances—are now […]
Looking at an ultrasound image, Shin points to a region of the brain showing strong microbubble activity from a nerve stimulation test. Credit: Elizabeth Bello, Beckman Institute Communications Office Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology have developed a new technique to make ultrasound localization microscopy, an emerging diagnostic tool used for […]
Credit: Pixabay from Pexels Vivid mental images of self-harm can put young people at an increased short-term risk of actually harming themselves, according to new research. A study published in Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior sheds new light on the factors influencing in-the-moment fluctuations in self-harm risk. It is the first study of its kind to […]
In an evolving journey toward understanding and supporting those living with Parkinson’s disease, a new report offers fresh insights into the burden it places on those affected. The study, published in three parts by Professor George Mellick for Parkinson’s Australia, aimed to shed light on the complexities surrounding its prevalence, as well as the need […]
Development of chronic musculoskeletal pain can be influenced by socioeconomics, fear of movement, smoking and poorer support networks, new research shows. In a systematic review of current evidence, researchers found that people from a lower socioeconomic background were twice as likely to develop chronic pain following injury. Those with a combination of characteristics including smoking, […]
A study analyzing Medicare data on low-value care (LVC) services, or services that provide little to no benefit relative to their potential cost, found that physicians were more strongly influenced by system-level factors that encourage a reduction of LVC and more resistant to factors that encourage an increase in LVC. In other words, physicians moving […]
Ultrasound mediated polymerization of acousto-sensitive biomaterials. Credit: Small Methods (2024). DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301197 Research presents an advance in drug delivery and tissue implantation assisted by ultrasound, developed by researchers from the Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. The work is published in the journal Small Methods. Prof. Shulamit Levenberg’s research group has developed an innovative non-invasive method […]
A Belgian man with a very rare metabolic condition that causes his body to produce alcohol had a drink-driving charge against him dismissed in court on Monday. The 40-year-old proved that he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), which causes carbohydrates in his stomach to be fermented, increasing ethanol levels in his blood and resulting in signs […]
Credit: Neuron (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.028 Astrocytes, as vital cells in the central nervous system, are crucial for brain health and function. Recent research shows that they influence higher cognitive functions and behaviors by regulating local neuronal activity. During stress, animals and humans assess risks to generate adaptive behaviors like avoidance. Mental disorders often disrupt this […]
The figure was derived from’International consensus on the management of large (?20?mm) non-pedunculated colorectal polyps: A World Endoscopy Organisation Delphi study’; Djinbachian et al, 2023; Under review). DM, distant metastasis; EMR, endoscopic mucosal resection; ESD, endoscopic submucosal dissection; JNET, Japan NBI Expert Team; LNM, lymph node metastasis; NBI, Narrow-Band Imaging. Credit: By Taghiakbari M, Kim […]
Fecal incontinence (FI), or involuntary loss of bowel control, significantly impacts quality of life and mental health for millions of adults in the U.S. Obesity is thought to affect bowel function, but the relationship between its standardized measure, body mass index (BMI), and FI remains unclear. Examining better markers of obesity that include body composition […]
An electron micrograph of the measles virus. Credit: CDC/ Courtesy of Cynthia S. Goldsmith With measles cases rising in Canada and internationally, it is important for clinicians to understand the disease and the role of vaccination against measles. Two articles in Canadian Medical Association Journal provide succinct overviews of this highly infectious disease. Many clinicians […]
Credit: Markus Spiske from Pexels New Swinburne-led research has revealed that a third of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may suffer from symptoms of disordered eating and orthorexia—an obsession with healthy eating. This is more than double the rate of those without IBS, highlighting a potentially dangerous pipeline between trying to manage IBS symptoms […]
Credit: SHVETS production from Pexels Drug effects have dominated the national conversation about psychedelics for medical treatment, but a new study suggests that when it comes to reducing depression with psychedelic-assisted therapy, what matters most is a strong relationship between the therapist and study participant. Researchers analyzed data from a 2021 clinical trial that found […]
CD155 and CD73 are highly upregulated in GBM and represent negative prognostic factors. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46343-3 Purdue University researchers are developing and validating a patent-pending treatment for incurable glioblastoma brain tumors. Glioblastomas are almost always lethal with a median survival time of 14 months. Traditional methods used against other cancers, like chemotherapy […]
Intranasal application of neomycin induces an upper respiratory ISG response independent of commensal microbiota. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319566121 A new, Yale-led study suggests that a range of respiratory viral infections—including COVID-19 and influenza—may be preventable or treatable with a generic antibiotic that is delivered to the nasal passageway. […]
Infants and children 5 years old and younger experienced only “modest” delays in developmental milestones due to the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions and restrictions, a study led by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center finds. In a report on the study published in JAMA Pediatrics, investigators evaluated possible links between pandemic-related disruptions to everyday life and changes in […]
Credit: AI-generated image A new case report published in OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology describes how longitudinal multi-omics monitoring (LMOM) helped to detect a precancerous pancreatic tumor and led to a successful surgical intervention. The patient had undergone annual blood-based LMOM, in which 143 endogenous metabolites in serum and a panel of 140 proteins […]
Graphical abstract. Credit: Patterns (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2024.100970 Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide with around 59 million people concerned in 2019. This irregular heartbeat is associated with increased risks of heart failure, dementia and stroke. It constitutes a significant burden to health care systems, making its early detection and treatment a major […]
An overview of DeepWMH for fully automated, high-quality WMH segmentation. Credit: Science China Press White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images are imaging features in various neurological diseases and essential markers for clinical impairment and disease progression. WMHs are associated with brain aging and pathological changes in the human brain, such as […]
RX Pricing Handout. Credit: Wolters Kluwer Patient handout for purchasing affordable prescription medications. Urology Practice (2024). DOI: 10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000544 Available online tools can help to lower out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for patients with common urologic conditions, reports a study in the May issue of Urology Practice,. “As clinicians, we find that many patients need help in […]
/Pixabay A four-item score designed to predict those at risk for future firearm violence may serve as an important tool for emergency department clinicians to tailor interventions to young persons at risk for firearm violence and disseminating those interventions effectively. A new cross-sectional analysis of the association between the risk score and self-reported firearm violence […]
Patients have lower rates of mortality and hospital readmissions when treated by female physicians, with female patients benefitting more than their male counterparts, new research suggests. The mortality rate for female patients was 8.15% when treated by female physicians vs. 8.38% when the physician was male—a clinically significant difference, the researchers found. While the difference […]
Some experts advocate the use of ovulation-inducing agents to collect multiple eggs from the ovaries in one go. However, there is an ongoing debate on whether this approach can produce high-quality eggs for in vitro fertilization. In this study, researchers used a mouse model and a state-of-the-art live-cell imaging technique to observe the development and […]
Graphical abstract . Credit: Cell Host & Microbe (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.02.003 Gut bacteria have emerged as a focal point of scientific exploration, with their intricate roles in our metabolism, nutrition, and overall health coming into sharp focus. New research from the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology has made a discovery that could lead to a better […]
Attempts by the WHO to push for an agreement in the Pandemic Treaty negotiations is detrimental to poorer countries, according to a leading global health expert. Referring to the ongoing talks—which are reported to be stalling—the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently said that “time is very short” and countries should get on […]
CAR-T cells can target autoreactive immune cells by using specific recognizing antibodies like CD19 (transmembrane glycoprotein of B cells) and BCMA (B-cell maturation antigen) and provide sustained treatment response in autoimmune disease. Credit: Chinese Medical Journal Daishi Tian from Huazhong University of Science and Technology Autoimmune disease (AID) refers to the condition in which the […]
Reliance on pre-defined roles (e.g., a nurse and physician in medicine) has long been a cornerstone of coordination in organizations, providing clarity to team members about what they and their teammates are expected to know and do. However, the rise of fluid participation—frequent changes to team membership and the composition of available skills—poses new challenges […]
National clinical guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 vary significantly around the world, with under-resourced countries the most likely to diverge from gold standard (World Health Organization; WHO) treatment recommendations, finds a comparative analysis published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. And nearly every national guideline recommends at least one treatment proven not […]
Active military service may heighten a woman’s risk of having a low birthweight baby, suggests a review of the available scientific evidence published online in the journal BMJ Military Health. The findings highlight the need for more research specifically focused on women in the armed forces, and their reproductive health in particular, conclude the study […]
NPI to combat COVID-19 by individual country. Credit: Scientific Data (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02670-6 While there’s a strong determination worldwide to return to a new normal in a post-COVID world, the pandemic is nearly impossible to forget. A large amount of data also provides insight we may not want to move past just yet—how we handled […]
For patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), a high preoperative leukocyte glucose index (LGI) is associated with arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure, according to a study published online April 1 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Adrian Vasile Muresan, Ph.D., from the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures in […]
The progression of the 2-back task. Figure is for illustrative purposes and is not drawn precisely to scale. Credit: Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics (2024). DOI: 10.3758/s13414-024-02853-2 Working memory is one of the brain’s executive functions, a skill that allows humans to process information without losing track of what they’re doing. In the short term, working […]
Repeated exposure to explosive blasts has the potential to cause brain injuries, but there is currently no diagnostic test for these injuries. In a study of 30 active-duty United States SOF personnel, researchers found that increased blast exposure was associated with structural, functional, and neuroimmune changes to the brain and a decline in health-related quality […]
Micrograph showing inflammation of the large bowel in a case of inflammatory bowel disease. Colonic biopsy. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 In a scientific breakthrough, Mount Sinai researchers have revealed the biological mechanisms by which a family of proteins known as histone deacetylases (HDACs) activate immune system cells linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other […]
Top: Exacerbated atherosclerosis (red signal) in the aorta of a progeroid mouse. Bottom: Absence of atherosclerosis in the aorta of a progeroid mouse after elimination of progerin expression by gene editing. Credit: CNIC Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare genetic disease that affects just 1 in every 20 million people; it is estimated […]
Credit: Kampus on Pexels Caregivers involved in a world-first pilot study have endorsed an online tool for assessing delirium which gives them a key role in the management of loved ones affected by the confused mental state. The new Australian-led international research, involving Southern Cross University, the University of the Sunshine Coast, the University of […]
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is safe and shows short-term efficacy in reducing suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in adults with suicidal behavior and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study published online April 12 in Psychological Medicine. Anne Huntjens, from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of DBT versus treatment as […]
Sergeant, an assistant clinical professor known for his climate advocacy and initiatives, talks about the dangers of climate change, the power of individuals and the health care sector to drive sustainable change, and his hope to save our “frail planet.” Credit: McMaster University Unseasonably mild winters. Forest fires and smoke. More reports of catastrophic storms. […]
The number of Hispanic organ donors in the U.S. has increased in recent years, but that growth has been slow. Although organs are not matched by race and ethnicity, a significant gap remains between donors and transplant candidates among Hispanic people. About 15% of organ donors in 2023 were Hispanic, federal data shows. That’s about […]
TP53INP2 protein expression decreases during aging and is associated with sarcopenia and unhealthy aging in humans. (a) quantification of TP53INP2 protein expression in muscle biopsies from young and aged human subjects. (b) correlation of muscle TP53INP2 protein expression with age in human subjects. (c) correlation of muscle TP53INP2 protein expression with hand grip strength in […]
Cardiac MRI of a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy (left) and an individual without heart disease (right). In the patient with dilated cardiomyopathy, the size of the heart is increased and its pumping capacity is reduced. Credit: CNIC Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most frequent cause of heart failure in young people and is the leading cause […]
Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with shorter breast cancer-specific survival, according to a study published online April 18 in JAMA Network Open. Neha Goel, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues examined whether neighborhood disadvantage is associated with shorter breast cancer-specific survival in a national retrospective cohort study involving patients […]
An inpatient, epilepsy-related rehabilitation program shows lasting effects on several aspects of adaptation to epilepsy and quality of life, according to a study published April 16 in Epilepsia. Ulrich Specht, from the Medical School OWL at Bielefeld University in Germany, and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of a specialized inpatient rehabilitation program in patients with newly […]
Credit: Boston University, photo by CDC on Unsplash. According to The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, can affect children’s language development and communication in a variety of ways. While some children with ASD may encounter difficulties communicating verbally, others exhibit impressive vocabularies and the ability to […]
First Nations patients in Alberta leave emergency departments (EDs) without completing treatment more often than comparable non–First Nations patients, due in part to anti-Indigenous racism expressed by providers, found new research published in Canadian Medical Association Journal. Higher proportions of incomplete ED care for First Nations patients compared with non–First Nations patients occurred even in […]
Credit: neerja panchal from Pexels The U.N. labor organization warned Monday that over 70% of the world’s workforce is likely to be exposed to excessive heat during their careers, citing increased concern about exposure to sunlight. It also warned of air pollution, pesticides and other hazards that could lead to health problems including cancer. In […]
Middle-aged and older adults believe that old age begins later in life than their peers did decades ago, according to a study. “Life expectancy has increased, which might contribute to a later perceived onset of old age. Also, some aspects of health have improved over time, so that people of a certain age who were […]
Atrial fibrillation (Afib), a common type of arrhythmia that is on the rise in people under the age of 65, is more dangerous in this increasingly younger population than previously thought, according to a new study published in Circulation Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology and authored by physician-scientists at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. The study, […]
The hydrogel electric generator and its working mechanism. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45931-7 Mechanoelectrical energy conversion offers a promising solution for powering miniaturized biomedical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers, brain stimulators, wearable drug delivery systems, and more. Although there have been various proposals for miniaturized mechanoelectrical converters in the past decade, the challenge of […]
Retinoblastoma is a rare pediatric cancer, with approximately 250–300 new cases per year in the United States and 8,000 worldwide. The cancer grows within the retina, a thin layer of cells at the back of the eye, and is usually treatable when diagnosed early. However, if undiagnosed, retinoblastoma can metastasize and lead to death. Research […]
Firearm-related injuries have been the leading cause of death in children and adolescents in the U.S. since 2020, surpassing motor vehicle crashes. New research from the University of Minnesota shows the sharpest increase in firearm-related mortality over the past decade is not in urban areas but among Black rural youth. Historically, firearm-related deaths between ages […]
As axonal mitochondria are lost, changes in the subunits of eIF2 are seen which hamper translation and autophagy and cause the accumulation of proteins in cells. Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan University Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have identified how proteins collect abnormally in neurons, a feature of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. The research is published in […]
High-resolution, high-speed tracking of zebrafish behavior in a large environment. A Schematic illustration of our experimental setup and analysis pipeline. B Head centroid trajectories in a small, walled environment (30?mm) and a large, unwalled environment (90?mm). C Distributions of head centroids during experiments across tested fish. D Swimming distance per minute during spontaneous exploration (red) […]
A new study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) suggests that female mice that are prone to anxiety may prefer and actively seek out a starvation-like state in response to repeated exposure to stress. The findings, published in the journal Neuron, may provide a useful experimental model for investigating the neural […]
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Stem Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.03.017 Researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University (BU) have published a new study detailing the development of a method for generating human alveolar epithelial type I cells (AT1s) from pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The ability to recreate these cells in an iPSC-based model will […]
Comprehensive view of a whole mouse brain, showcasing cells detected by DELiVR. Each color represents a different brain region, illustrating the spatial distribution of neuronal activity. Credit: Luciano Höher / Helmholtz Munich Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the LMU University Hospital Munich introduce DELiVR, offering a new AI-based approach to the complex task of brain […]
SARS-CoV-2 library preparation for tARC-seq. Credit: Nature Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01655-4 The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID has the unsettling ability of often generating variants of itself. Other viruses also mutate, but as SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread throughout the entire human population during the pandemic, killing millions, the virus’ dynamic evolution posed a serious problem: it […]
Pie charts with the cytosine proportion in the particular cluster to all aDMR cytosines; DNA methylation trajectories during aging as Z-scores and methylation distribution per age group. Red shading marks clusters chosen for further analyses. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47316-2 DNA methylation data provide extremely accurate age predictors, but so far, little is known […]
To develop porokeratosis, people need two damaged copies of the gene, “two hits.” One they acquire either from their parents (left) or through epigenetic silencing early in their fetal development (middle and right). This predisposes them to developing the disease but in itself is not symptomatic. In the case of epigenetic silencing, individuals are mosaics […]
Primary health care, conditional cash transfers and social pensions have prevented 1.4 million deaths of all ages in Brazil over the past two decades, according to a study coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). If expanded, these programs could avert an additional 1.3 million deaths and 6.6 million hospitalizations by 2030. The […]
Skeletal muscle fibers. Credit: Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library / Public domain In a world with rapidly aging societies, there’s a need for a detailed understanding of the cause and progression of diseases associated with aging. Skeletal muscle is the key motor system in the human body and plays a pivotal role in body […]
Graphical abstract. Credit: Molecular Therapy – Methods & Clinical Development (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101248 Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a rare genetic disorder that mainly affects young children and results in severe neurological symptoms accompanied by a loss of motor and intellectual capacities. At Paris Brain Institute, Françoise Piguet and her colleagues have developed a gene therapy treatment […]
Distribution profile of Tn antigen upon its albumin-mediated delivery to various organs. When delivered in abundance, the antigen leads to an intense green emission, as in the lymph node. Credit: NJ Group/IISc Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a synthetic compound (antigen) that can latch on to a protein in blood […]
There are no silver bullets, magic tricks or secret hacks to solving complex public health problems. Taking on the global tobacco industry and reducing the devastating consequences of smoking has taken decades of incremental reforms. Most of these reforms have focused on making smoking less attractive, to reduce the appeal of and demand for tobacco […]
Even though fentanyl-linked fatal overdoses are soaring among young adults, a new survey of American college students found that just 1 in 7 knew how to administer the overdose antidote drug naloxone. Many who took the survey “reported high willingness to intervene during an overdose, yet only a small proportion knew how to administer naloxone, […]
From 2000 to 2022, there was an increase in the lifetime risk for atrial fibrillation, according to a study published online April 17 in The BMJ. Nicklas Vinter, M.D., Ph.D., from Aalborg University in Denmark, and colleagues examined how the lifetime risks for atrial fibrillation and complications after atrial fibrillation have changed over time (from […]
Credit: Kampus Production from Pexels Are you concerned about the time your child spends on digital devices? If so, you’re hardly alone. Many parents and caregivers worry that screen time is taking over their child’s day (and night), crowding out other activities they need for good health. It helps to create a family media plan […]
The world’s oldest conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, recently died, aged 62. Doctors predicted that the twins (who were joined at the skull and shared 30% of their brain) would not live past the age of 30. But the twins defied expectations and managed to live long and successful lives. The twins made headlines […]