Medical Research News

RSS

Obesity sharply increases hospitalisation risk from infections, global analysis shows

Adult obesity is associated with a substantially higher risk of severe hospital-treated or fatal infections across multiple pathogens, with risk increasing as obesity severity rises. Global modelling suggests roughly one in ten infection-related deaths worldwide may be attributable to adult obesity, although causality cannot be confirmed.

15 Feb 2026

Role of food nutrients in reducing oxidative stress linked to micro- and nanoplastics

This narrative review examines how micro- and nanoplastics may contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction, including potential links with diabetes. It highlights plant-derived nutrients that activate the Nrf2 pathway as a possible strategy to enhance cellular stress resilience, although most evidence remains preclinical.

15 Feb 2026

Why lung cancer in never smokers is rising and how targeted detection could reduce deaths

Lung cancer in never smokers is an increasingly recognized global health issue with distinct biological drivers, environmental risk factors, and genetic susceptibilities. Improved risk modelling, targeted screening strategies, and preventive approaches are needed to enable earlier detection and reduce mortality in this growing patient group.

15 Feb 2026

Nasal COVID vaccine boost increases IgA responses linked to variant neutralisation

Intranasal boosting after prior intramuscular COVID vaccination induced strong mucosal IgA responses in a small human cohort. These antibodies showed markedly enhanced neutralising activity against Omicron variants and evidence of immune memory reprogramming toward mucosal protection.

15 Feb 2026

Vitamin A and thyroid hormones in the retina shape fetal vision

Humans develop sharp vision during early fetal development thanks to an interplay between a vitamin A derivative and thyroid hormones in the retina, Johns Hopkins University scientists have found.

13 Feb 2026

Universal famine thresholds may mask unfolding starvation

Recent global crises have exposed the limits of a universal mortality threshold for declaring famine-an approach that can obscure how famine actually unfolds across different populations.

13 Feb 2026

US drinking water kiosks sometimes contain elevated lead levels

After high-profile water crises like the one in Flint, Michigan, some Americans distrust the safety of tap water, choosing to purchase drinking water from freestanding water vending machines or kiosks.

13 Feb 2026

Attachment insecurity and materialism drive phubbing in relationships

New research reveals how attachment insecurity and materialistic values fuel 'phubbing' in romantic relationships.

13 Feb 2026

Global trends shape progress in cell and gene therapies

Cell and gene therapies, or CGT, have come a long way since they were first introduced. In the last few decades, both cell therapy -- the transplantation of living cells -- and gene therapy -- the use of genetic material to modify cell functions -- have been increasingly incorporated into clinical practice.

13 Feb 2026

ARVCF gene deletion leads to abnormalities in reward behavior

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a key brain region for dopamine production and the regulation of reward-related behaviors.

13 Feb 2026

Review compares surgical and neurostimulation outcomes in temporal lobe epilepsy

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of focal epilepsy, affecting a significant proportion of patients who develop drug-resistant epilepsy.

13 Feb 2026

Diabetic nephropathy shows severe biochemical abnormalities

Chronic diabetes mellitus is marked by hyperglycemia and metabolic dysfunction, increasing the risk of complications such as nephropathy.

13 Feb 2026

Antibody feedback reshapes B cell selection during immune response

A collaborative study published in Immunity from the Batista Lab and Liu Lab at the Ragon Institute, together with the Schief Lab at Scripps Research Institute, has uncovered a previously unrecognized mechanism that shapes how immune cells are selected during an immune response.

13 Feb 2026

Parenting style shapes adolescent alcohol and drug use

"Like father, like son? Can parenting styles break the intergenerational pattern of alcohol and drug use?" A group of Brazilian researchers analyzed data on the behavior of 4,280 adolescents and their guardians based on this question, arriving at two important conclusions.

13 Feb 2026

Older Americans more exposed to dubious health information

Even as misinformation proliferates across the Internet, sites containing low-credibility health information remain relatively scarce and unseen.

13 Feb 2026

Telehealth boosts uptake of genetic testing among adult survivors of childhood cancers

Adult survivors of childhood cancers are at higher risk for another cancer – such as breast, colorectal, sarcomas and thyroid cancer – that is not a relapse of their original illness.

13 Feb 2026

Relationship confidence drives personal health improvements for couples

When couples attend relationship counseling, it benefits not only their partnership but also their individual well-being.

13 Feb 2026

Engineered Listeria boosts innate immunity against cancer

After nearly 40 years of research on how Listeria bacteria manipulate our cells and battle our immune system to cause listeriosis, Daniel Portnoy and his colleagues have discovered a way to turn the bacteria into a potent booster of the immune system - and a potential weapon against cancer.

13 Feb 2026

Osteoprotegerin links bone metabolism to cardiovascular disease

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a glycoprotein in the tumor necrosis factor superfamily, regulates bone metabolism by suppressing the formation and activation of osteoclasts.

13 Feb 2026

Novel antibody 007 targets the elusive HIV envelope epitope

HIV-1 can be neutralized by antibodies which bind to vulnerable structures on the virus surface. One such vulnerable site is the so-called V3 glycan site of the viral envelope protein.

13 Feb 2026