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Highly potent opioid shows potential as therapy for pain and opioid use disorder

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified a novel, highly potent opioid that shows potential as a therapy for both pain and opioid use disorder.

1 Apr 2026

Fiber supplement stabilizes blood sugar in gestational diabetes

Dietary fiber supplementation shows potential in managing blood sugar levels and preventing preterm births in pregnancies at risk for gestational diabetes.

1 Apr 2026

Common antibacterial soaps and wipes may worsen antibiotic resistance crisis

An international team of scientists is warning that everyday antibacterial soaps, wipes, sprays, and other "germ‑killing" products are quietly contributing to the global rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) while providing no added health benefit for most consumer uses.

31 Mar 2026

Lipid nanoparticles help CAR T cells melt pancreatic cancer barriers

Often diagnosed when surgery is no longer an option, pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and has one of the lowest rates of survival among major malignancies.

31 Mar 2026

Gut-derived metabolites regulate immune cells in complex ways

Published on March 23, 2026, in Volume 2, article number 18 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation, the review begins by systematically outlining the sources and synthetic pathways of immune-relevant microbial metabolites, including bile acids, short-chain fatty acids, amino acid derivatives, vitamins, trimethylamine/trimethylamine N-oxide, and odd-chain fatty acids.

31 Mar 2026

Why vaginal microbiota transplants aren’t working yet

Vaginal microbiota transplantation without antibiotics fails to restore microbiome balance, yet engraftment suggests avenues for enhancing treatment efficacy.

31 Mar 2026

Vaping beats traditional tools for quitting smoking

The review indicates nicotine e-cigarettes could surpass traditional quit aids in effectiveness, but lingering safety uncertainties warrant further research.

31 Mar 2026

Dropped surgical implants are contaminated instantly and alcohol does not fix it

A study evaluates disinfectants for decontaminating dropped implants in surgery, highlighting risks and the efficacy of CHG and PI in reducing bacterial load.

31 Mar 2026

Collaboration advances EMA601 as potential first-in-class stroke therapy

Boehringer Ingelheim and the Lower Franconian biotech company EMFRET Analytics have signed a cooperation and license agreement for the preclinical development program of the GPVI‑blocking antibody EMA601.

30 Mar 2026

Study reveals CAR T approach for hard-to-treat solid tumors

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy - CAR T for short - has been a major advance in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

30 Mar 2026

Culturally tailored food programs significantly lower blood pressure in minority adults

Black and Hispanic adults with high blood pressure (hypertension) who received a culturally tailored food-based intervention with dietitian coaching experienced a significant drop in blood pressure compared with those who received an equivalent amount of fresh produce without additional supports, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

30 Mar 2026

NOX-1 identified as key molecular target to prolong ketamine's antidepressant effects

Treatment-resistant depression affects a large proportion of people with major depressive disorder, and while ketamine offers rapid relief, its antidepressant effects fade within a few weeks.

30 Mar 2026

Taking a placebo knowingly still improves stress and memory

Research indicates open-label placebos can ease stress and boost memory in older adults, presenting a novel, ethical strategy for promoting healthy aging.

30 Mar 2026

New drug sotatercept shows benefit in CpcPH-HFpEF patients

Patients who have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension) experienced significant improvements in blood pressure and vascular health after taking the drug sotatercept, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

29 Mar 2026

Trial shows mavacamten benefits adolescents with obstructive heart condition

Adolescent patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who received the drug mavacamten saw a significant improvement in left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient, a measure of blood flow obstruction in the heart, compared with those who received a placebo, according to a small study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

29 Mar 2026

Temporary heart pump before PCI shows no significant benefit

The first randomized trial to test whether adding a small, temporary pump to allow the heart to rest and intentionally delaying percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as coronary angioplasty, for 30 minutes to reduce heart damage compared with standard immediate PCI in patients with heart attacks at risk for a large amount of heart damage found no significant difference between the two groups, the study's primary endpoint. The research was presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

28 Mar 2026

Left atrial appendage closure matches anticoagulants in AFib patients

For patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AFib) who had no contraindications to taking oral anticoagulants, the use of a device to close off the left atrial appendage in the heart—a small pouch where blood can pool and form dangerous clots—was comparable to standard medication therapy in reducing the combined rate of all-cause stroke, cardiovascular death and systemic embolism at three years.

28 Mar 2026

Brain resilience peaks about an hour after stress exposure

Psychological resilience is often misunderstood as simple "toughness" or an insensitivity to stress. However, true resilience is the brain's capacity to adapt and recover after a stressful event.

28 Mar 2026

TENS therapy reduces movement pain and fatigue in fibromyalgia patients

Adding TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) to outpatient physical therapy reduced movement-based pain and fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia, and the effects lasted for at least six months, according to a new study led by researchers at University of Iowa Health Care.

27 Mar 2026