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Organ transplant survival rates improve despite persistent donor shortages

More adults are surviving both the wait for an organ and transplant surgery, but the number of people who need transplants continues to exceed the number of organs available, especially for kidneys, according to a national analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

4 Jun 2026

Repurposed cancer therapy enables successful kidney transplantation

A pioneering clinical trial has successfully enabled three patients with end-stage kidney disease to receive previously improbable kidney transplants.

4 Jun 2026

Why exercise matters for obesity even when the scale barely moves

AHA's scientific statement reveals exercise's vital role in obesity management, boosting cardiovascular health and supporting long-term weight loss efforts.

4 Jun 2026

Electrical neck implants immediately restore arm mobility in stroke survivors

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers report the final outcomes of a pioneering pilot clinical trial using electrical stimulation of the spinal cord to improve arm and hand mobility in people with chronic stroke today in Nature Medicine.

4 Jun 2026

Novel CAR T treatment makes previously impossible kidney transplants possible

A pioneering clinical trial has successfully enabled two patients with end-stage kidney disease to receive previously improbable kidney transplants.

3 Jun 2026

Patented technology enables real-time detection of surgical bleeding sources

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officially issued a new patent to Wayne State University and RediMinds Inc. of Southfield, Michigan. The patent protects a pioneering technological advancement developed in the university's laboratories.

3 Jun 2026

New protocol prevents heavy alcohol relapse after liver transplantation

In a study published in the Liver Transplantation journal by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Mayo Clinic researchers found that a new proactive treatment protocol for alcohol use disorder after liver transplant resulted in a 0% heavy alcohol relapse rate among patients who followed the protocol, compared with a historical relapse rate of approximately 25%.

3 Jun 2026

New stent design could improve treatment of gastric leaks

Each year, about 250,000 Americans undergo sleeve gastrectomy, one of the most common weight-loss operations in the United States. For most patients, recovery is uneventful.

3 Jun 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help prevent breast cancer? New study points to a possible link

A large retrospective cohort study of 111,646 overweight or obese women found that GLP-1 agonist exposure was associated with lower breast cancer incidence. After propensity-score matching, GLP-1 exposure was linked to nearly 30% lower odds of breast cancer, but the authors stress that randomized trials are needed before these drugs can be considered for prevention.

3 Jun 2026

Brain tumor removal may improve blood sugar in diabetes patients

A new study published today in JAMA Network Open found that removing olfactory groove meningioma - a type of brain tumor located near the base of the brain - may improve blood sugar control in patients with diabetes.

3 Jun 2026

American Heart Association launches national heart transplant research network

Nearly 60 years after the first successful heart transplant, the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, is launching a bold new initiative to fundamentally transform how heart transplant care is delivered across the United States - addressing long-standing gaps in innovation, equity and patient outcomes.

3 Jun 2026

New platform identifies barriers to therapeutic antibody delivery in solid tumors

Eben Rosenthal, MD, the Barry and Amy Baker Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt Health, is the senior author of the paper. Rosenthal and co-author Guolan Lu, PhD, of Stanford University School of Medicine, developed single-cell spatial pharmacobiology (SSP), an experimental and analytical platform that allows visualization of drug-tumor interactions in human solid tumors.

3 Jun 2026

GLP-1 treatments may reduce knee replacement surgery rates

GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, used for the treatment of diabetes, and more recently, weight loss, are associated with a significantly lower long term risk of knee replacement surgery as a result of osteoarthritis, finds an analysis of medical records data, published in the open access journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

2 Jun 2026

New PET imaging platform improves osteosarcoma surgery precision

A new end-to-end PET imaging approach for osteosarcoma can rapidly and reliably distinguish tumor tissue from normal tissue and accurately assess surgical margins in real time.

2 Jun 2026

New funding supports cutting-edge research to combat cancers across South Texas

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) and its academic health center, UT Health San Antonio, recently received over $2.7 million in new academic and prevention awards from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to further its mission of combating cancers across South Texas.

2 Jun 2026

New ultrasound pacemaker design promises minimal recovery time for cardiac patients

MIT engineers have developed a noninvasive pacemaker that stimulates the heart using ultrasound. The design could one day provide a surgery-free alternative to traditional cardiac implants.

2 Jun 2026

Pediatric experts reveal the 10 research areas set to shape child health

Pediatric research leaders identified 10 high-promise areas likely to shape child health over the next 5 to 10 years, including genomics, mental health, vaccines, artificial intelligence, perinatal medicine, precision therapeutics, health equity, nutrition, environmental health, and cancer treatment. The paper argues that these opportunities will only translate into better outcomes if pediatric research receives sustained funding, public trust, workforce support, advocacy, and equitable implementation.

1 Jun 2026

4D-printed expanders could transform reconstructive surgery outcomes

Di Wang, PhD, and Y. Shrike Zhang, PhD, of the Division of Engineering in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine, are the lead and senior authors of a paper published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, "4D-printed adaptive hydrogel tissue expanders for ear and breast reconstruction."

1 Jun 2026

Whole-body PET scans track metabolic recovery after weight-loss surgery

A novel PET imaging framework reveals that bariatric surgery impacts not only body weight, but also the metabolic function of multiple organs.

1 Jun 2026

$2 million NIH funding supports wearable knee exoskeleton research

Building on the success of projects to boost strength by adding motors to conventional knee, hip and ankle braces, a University of Michigan team is exploring how well this approach could work for relieving knee pain from osteoarthritis.

1 Jun 2026