OCT News and Research

RSS

Excess adiposity may alter the immune environment of airways to promote lung cancer

In a recent study of more than a thousand individuals, greater adiposity, or excessive body fat or fatty tissue, specifically in the abdomen, was associated with lung cancer.

8 Oct 2026

Potassium-rich DASH diet does not cause hyperkalemia in individuals taking blood pressure drugs

Increased consumption of potassium-rich foods that are part of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet did not raise blood potassium to dangerous levels in people taking medications to lower their blood pressure, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026.

8 Oct 2026

Combination therapy overcomes immunotherapy resistance in glioblastoma

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have identified a combination treatment that overcomes two of the biggest barriers to immunotherapy in glioblastoma.

8 Oct 2026

Shared family factors influence screen use and mental health problems in young people

Shared family factors, such as genes and upbringing, are likely to explain a large part of the link between high screen use and mental health problems in young people.

8 Oct 2026

Study explains how sickle cell variant shapes malaria parasite infections

Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases on the planet, afflicting people for the entirety of recorded history.

8 Oct 2026

Universal germline genetic testing catches missed cancer risks in older patients

Universal germline genetic testing of nearly 40,000 patients with solid tumors detected a substantial proportion of inherited gene variants that would have been missed by the standard germline testing approach that excludes those over age 50.

8 Oct 2026

Study links non-brain gene variant to anorexia risk

A gene primarily active in fat and muscles could make a person more susceptible to anorexia nervosa, a deadly eating disorder with one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disease.

8 Oct 2026

Three NHS genetics labs fail to routinely share vital variant data

Three out of England's seven NHS genetics laboratories are failing to routinely share vital information about genetic variants in public databases that helps patients with rare diseases access diagnosis and care, reveals an investigation by The BMJ today.

8 Oct 2026

HPV vaccination may protect against adverse pregnancy outcomes

Having received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine before pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of major pregnancy complications including preterm birth, with the greater reduction in risk seen among women vaccinated at an earlier age, finds a large Swedish study published by The BMJ today.

8 Oct 2026

Low uptake limits benefits of maternal RSV vaccination

Vaccination against a common respiratory virus during pregnancy lowers the risk of severe disease in babies by 74 per cent, but uptake in many countries remains low, a new review suggests.

8 Oct 2026

Study highlights need for smarter, locally tailored trauma-care systems

A study of almost 9,000 injury patients across Africa and South Asia has found that nearly half were dead or disabled after three months - highlighting the need for smarter, locally tailored trauma-care systems.

8 Oct 2026

Hydroxyurea does not increase infection risk in children with sickle cell anemia

Children living with sickle cell anemia have no higher incidence of clinically diagnosed infections when treated with hydroxyurea.

8 Oct 2026

Optogenetic therapy improves light sensitivity in people with retinitis pigmentosa

An international research team has reported new results from the first clinical cohort of blind people treated with an optogenetic therapy for advanced retinitis pigmentosa.

7 Oct 2026

REUP technique expands access to pediatric heart transplants

A groundbreaking donor heart recovery technique developed at Vanderbilt Health has been successfully adapted for children by pediatric heart transplant surgeons at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, potentially expanding access to lifesaving heart transplants for children.

7 Oct 2026