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Morning naps may flag higher mortality risk in older adults

Older adults who took longer and more frequent daytime naps, especially in the morning, had a higher risk of all-cause mortality in this prospective cohort study using actigraphy-based nap tracking. Variability in nap duration from day to day was not associated with mortality after full adjustment.

21 Apr 2026

Cancer-linked mutations in the brain cells may drive Alzheimer’s disease

As the body ages, cells naturally accumulate dozens of genetic mutations each year. New research from Boston Children's Hospital, published in Cell, finds that the brain's resident immune cells, microglia, amass mutations in specific cancer-driving genes yet they don't manifest as cancer.

21 Apr 2026

Microglia actively shape glioblastoma growth and tumor spread

Glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive brain tumor type in adults, remains difficult to treat because it can infiltrate surrounding brain tissue and spread far beyond the main tumor.

21 Apr 2026

Cognitive decline may signal heart trouble years before a cardiovascular event

In a large ASPREE and ASPREE-XT nested case-control study of older adults without prior cardiovascular disease, people who later experienced a CVD event showed faster cognitive decline beginning roughly 3 to 8 years before the event. Processing speed declined earliest, suggesting that subtle cognitive changes may emerge well before overt cardiovascular disease.

21 Apr 2026

CAR-PRISM trial reports promising results in high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma

Results of the single-center, phase 2 CAR-PRISM (PRecision Intervention Smoldering Myeloma) clinical trial, the first to investigate Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma, showed that all 20 patients were negative for minimal residual disease (MRD) within two months of treatment and remained MRD-negative after a median of 15.3 months of follow-up, and none experienced high-grade side effects, according to results presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22, in San Diego, Calif.

21 Apr 2026

Path-IO model predicts immunotherapy response in lung cancer patients

An artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated the ability to accurately predict responses to immunotherapy for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

21 Apr 2026

Gut microbiome clues may help spot Parkinson’s disease in its earliest phase

Researchers found that a Parkinson’s disease-related gut microbiome pattern appears not only in people with diagnosed Parkinson’s, but also in some non-manifesting GBA1 variant carriers and a subset of healthy individuals. The findings suggest that gut microbiome changes may help flag people who are closer to Parkinson’s disease development, although longitudinal studies are still needed to confirm predictive value.

21 Apr 2026

Why do the deadliest cancers still get less NIH research funding?

Researchers found that NIH funding for major US cancers does not consistently align with lethality, with highly fatal cancers such as pancreatic cancer and small-cell lung cancer receiving far less funding per estimated death than breast or prostate cancer. The study argues that incidence alone is not enough and that funding decisions should better incorporate mortality, survival, and mortality-to-incidence ratios.

21 Apr 2026

Injectable immunotherapy shrinks precancerous oral lesions in clinical trial

Injecting nivolumab (Opdivo) directly into precancerous oral lesions led to reduction in lesion size and allowed some patients to avoid surgery, according to research from a phase I clinical trial presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22.

21 Apr 2026

Chronic wildfire smoke exposure may raise long-term cancer risks

Exposure to wildfire smoke was associated with a significantly increased risk of lung, colorectal, breast, bladder, and blood cancer, according to results from a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22.

21 Apr 2026

Early myocarditis onset after immunotherapy linked to higher fatality risk

Patients who developed myocarditis within the first month of receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy were more likely to die of myocarditis, and myocarditis-specific fatality was more common in patients who experienced co-occurring myositis and myasthenia gravis, according to results from a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22.

21 Apr 2026

Supportive relationships in childhood help buffer the long-term health effects of abuse

A consistent, caring adult during childhood can make a profound difference for child survivors of physical or sexual abuse.

21 Apr 2026

High-fat, low-carbohydrate diet may improve beta-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes on a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet may have a better chance of reversing their diabetes than those on a low-fat diet, according to a small study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

21 Apr 2026

High immune cell ratios may predict future Alzheimer's disease risk

Circulating white blood cells called neutrophils are some of the immune system's first responders. Their numbers shoot up during infection and inflammation, shifting the ratio of neutrophils to other types of immune cells in the blood.

21 Apr 2026

Immune cell interactions drive liver inflammation and fibrosis

When the liver is injured - for example, due to bile accumulation - immune cells become activated. In mouse experiments, the Würzburg team observed that certain immune cells undergo functional changes in response to liver damage, adopting a highly pro-inflammatory state.

21 Apr 2026

Psychotropic medication use rises significantly after Parkinson's disease diagnosis

Up to one in three people with Parkinson's disease use at least one psychotropic medication, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland shows.

21 Apr 2026

Molecular keyhole discovery offers new hope for personalized pain therapies

Researchers at VIB, VUB, and KU Leuven have identified a tiny binding site, a molecular 'keyhole', in the TRPM3 ion channel, a crucial sensor in pain signaling.

21 Apr 2026

Rising colorectal cancer rates in young Swiss adults spark concern

While the incidence of colorectal cancer is decreasing among those over 50, it is rising at an alarming rate among younger individuals, sometimes as early as their thirties.

21 Apr 2026

Alzheimer’s monoclonal antibodies fail to deliver meaningful results

Despite reducing amyloid plaques, antibody treatments for Alzheimer's fail to improve cognition, highlighting critical gaps in current therapeutic approaches.

21 Apr 2026

DNA methylation "fingerprints" identify primary sites in metastatic cancers

A machine learning model analyzing CpG-based DNA methylation accurately predicted the origin of many different cancer types in patients with cancers of unknown primary (CUP), according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22.

21 Apr 2026