Medical Research News

RSS

Blood tests improve Alzheimer's detection in Down syndrome patients

New blood tests that detect early changes associated with Alzheimer's disease are making diagnosis easier and accessible to more patients, since they are less invasive than the brain scans or spinal taps typically used for a definitive diagnosis.

27 Jul 2026

Rare BTK mutation drives resistance to targeted therapies for blood cancer

Scientists at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and collaborators have uncovered a rare genetic mutation that enables some blood cancers to evade both approved Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and newer BTK degraders, a finding that could help shape the next generation of therapies for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and related malignancies.

27 Jul 2026

A common dietary nutrient feeds a gut pathway linked to atrial fibrillation

Researchers linked higher plasma TMAO to prevalent atrial fibrillation in 5,090 people and found that TMAO or choline supplementation accelerated AF onset, progression, atrial remodeling, and electrical dysfunction in mice. Inhibiting gut microbial TMA production lowered circulating TMAO and delayed AF in mice, identifying a potential therapeutic pathway that now requires human testing.

27 Jul 2026

Three key brain regions interact during sleep to support memory formation

Researchers at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins Medicine have discovered that memory consolidation during sleep depends on coordinated activity among three brain regions and disruptions to this activity can impair memory performance.

27 Jul 2026

St. Jude scientists uncover regulatory mechanism for crucial developmental pathway

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists uncovered a regulatory mechanism for signaling of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), a pathway essential for embryonic development.

27 Jul 2026

NIH grant funds study on stroke-related urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a common but frequently overlooked consequence of stroke. Now, researchers from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center have received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the brain changes responsible for these symptoms and develop a more personalized approach to treatment.

27 Jul 2026

Industrial chicken farming drives evolution of foodborne bacteria strains

A new study by the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research, University of Oxford, reveals that industrial poultry farming has led to more than 100-fold increase in the movement of Campylobacter, allowing strains that once circulated in wild birds to mix extensively in commercial poultry populations.

27 Jul 2026

Taste preference genes drive overeating and metabolic disease risk

Ever wonder why some people crave sweets while others can take them or leave them? Preliminary findings from a new study suggest that people who carry certain genetic variants associated with a preference for sweet or fatty tastes not only tend to eat more of these foods but also have a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes as a result.

27 Jul 2026

Genetic factors influence cholesterol response to low-carb diets

Can a low-carb diet cause your cholesterol to skyrocket? This question has vexed researchers and influencers alike as the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets has surged, yet the evidence has remained mixed.

27 Jul 2026

Plant polymer lignin shows promise for future bone regeneration

A new study reveals that lignin - a natural plant polymer - can be transformed into a bioactive material that promotes the formation of bone-like minerals while supporting the growth of bone-forming cells.

27 Jul 2026

Dengue virus infects memory B cells to evade immune defenses

Researchers at the University of Vermont Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine and Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, have discovered that dengue virus can infect and replicate inside memory B cells, immune cells traditionally understood to help protect the body from infection.

27 Jul 2026

Signals traveling from the gut through the vagus nerve help form memories

When French writer Marcel Proust famously recalled his childhood from the taste of a Madeline cookie, his stomach may have done some of the work.

27 Jul 2026

Trial successfully lowers alcohol use in humanitarian setting

The first known randomized trial of an alcohol-reduction intervention in a humanitarian setting found a significant, sustained effect in lowering alcohol use.

27 Jul 2026

Eye state alters brain signals for mind wandering

A type of brain activity linked to arousal and attention can track mind wandering. But research is conflicting on whether this activity promotes or hinders mind wandering.

27 Jul 2026

Noncombustible nicotine products replace cigarette use among young adults

As cigarette smoking reaches historic lows in the U.S., new research from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center suggests a fundamental shift in tobacco use is driving that trend.

27 Jul 2026

UC Davis researcher receives grant to study perceived cognitive aging

University of California, Davis Professor of Neurology Sarah Tomaszewski Farias has been awarded a $3.3 million five-year grant from The National Institute on Aging to study if cultural differences affect how people perceive cognitive changes as they age.

27 Jul 2026