OCT News and Research

RSS

Surgical menopause associated with higher risk of workforce exit

Menopause before the age of 45 (known as early menopause) is associated with an increased risk of an array of serious diseases, including cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

8 Oct 2025

Many men receive frequent prostate cancer tests without symptoms

Current prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing "may not effectively target testing to those most likely to benefit, raising concerns about overtesting" warn researchers from the University of Oxford in a study of over 10 million men across England published by The BMJ today.

8 Oct 2025

Researchers identify four distinct profiles of Nonverbal Learning Disability

A study published in JAMA Network Open identifies four distinct profiles of Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD), providing evidence that may help refine diagnostic criteria and guide more individualized approaches to care for children and families.

8 Oct 2025

New drug candidates show promise for restoring myelin in MS

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting more than 2.9 million people worldwide.

8 Oct 2025

Newly identified protein acts as a traffic controller for DNA replication

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a protein that acts like a traffic controller for DNA, preventing damage during cell division - a discovery that could lead to new cancer therapies, according to a study published in Nature.

8 Oct 2025

UCSF team uncovers breakthrough immunotherapy for colon cancer liver metastases

Advanced colon cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in young American men and the second highest worldwide. In the majority of these patients, as the cancer advances it metastasizes to the liver.

8 Oct 2025

Repeated sampling offers insight into glioblastoma therapy response

A multi-institutional study from the Accelerating GBM Therapies Through Serial Biopsies TeamLab, led by investigators from the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, found that serially testing tumor samples can help detect when a cancer treatment is activating the immune system in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), even when traditional imaging measures cannot.

8 Oct 2025

Harmful DNA changes in the sperm found to rise sharply with age

Harmful genetic changes in sperm become substantially more common as men age because some are actively favored during sperm production, new research has revealed.

8 Oct 2025

Smoking and sex found to shape early cellular changes linked to bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Men are around four times more likely to develop it than women, and smoking is the main known environmental risk factor.

8 Oct 2025

New brain circuit discovery offers hope for chronic pain relief

Acute or short-lived pain, despite its bad reputation, is usually a lifesaver. It acts as a transient negative sensory experience that helps us avoid danger.

8 Oct 2025

Inappropriate triage prolongs time to pain medication in vaso-occlusive crisis

Most individuals living with sickle cell disease who presented to the emergency department with a pain crisis, known as vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), were not triaged appropriately according to established national guidelines, reveals a study published today in Blood Advances.

8 Oct 2025

Survey finds widespread gaps in safe tissue containment during laparoscopic gynecologic surgery

A new national survey of first-year fellows in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (FMIGS) has revealed significant gaps in the use of FDA-cleared containment systems during laparoscopic hysterectomy and myomectomy.

8 Oct 2025

Largest study of African American brain tissue reveals key Alzheimer gene activity

The prevalence of Alzheimer disease (AD) is approximately two times higher in African Americans (AA) compared to White/European-ancestry (EA) individuals living in the U.S.

8 Oct 2025

Engineered Salmonella therapy delivers immune payloads to combat cancer

A new research paper was published in Volume 16 of Oncotarget on October 6, 2025, titled "ACTM-838, a novel systemically delivered bacterial immunotherapy that enriches in solid tumors and delivers IL-15/IL-15Rα and STING payloads to engage innate and adaptive immunity in the TME and enable a durable anti-tumor immune response."

8 Oct 2025

New dual-target vaccine shows promise against typhoid and Salmonella

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) have completed a successful Phase 1 clinical trial of a novel vaccine designed to protect against both typhoid fever and invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella--two major causes of illness and death among children in sub-Saharan Africa.

8 Oct 2025

Engineered CAR-NK cells show enhanced cancer killing and immune evasion

One of the newest weapons that scientists have developed against cancer is a type of engineered immune cell known as CAR-NK (natural killer) cells. Similar to CAR-T cells, these cells can be programmed to attack cancer cells.

8 Oct 2025

Improved five-year cancer survival observed after Medicaid expansion

Adoption of Medicaid expansion in U.S. states appeared to improve both five-year cause-specific and overall survival in cancer patients.

8 Oct 2025

California’s nursing shortage is getting worse. Front-line workers blame management.

California, like much of the nation, is not producing enough nurses working at bedsides to meet the needs of an aging and diverse population, fueling a workforce crunch that risks endangering quality patient care.

8 Oct 2025

Calorie labeling in England linked to only small reductions in out-of-home food

Calorie labeling, which became law in April 2022 in England, is associated with only a small (2%) average reduction in the energy content of food that is available away from home, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health.

7 Oct 2025

UCSF and Allen Institute create most detailed data-driven map of the mouse brain

In a powerful fusion of AI and neuroscience, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Allen Institute designed an AI model that has created one of the most detailed maps of the mouse brain to date, featuring 1,300 regions/subregions.

7 Oct 2025