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UCLA study reveals key role of mismatch repair genes in Huntington’s disease

A new UCLA Health study has discovered in mouse models that genes associated with repairing mismatched DNA are critical in eliciting damages to neurons that are most vulnerable in Huntington's disease and triggering downstream pathologies and motor impairment, shedding light on disease mechanisms and potential new ways to develop therapies.

11 Feb 2025

Older adults experience greater happiness and purpose after Covid-19

Older people have greater general happiness, life satisfaction and sense of purpose than they did before the Covid-19 pandemic.

11 Feb 2025

New project aims to measure nicotine use through sewage

University of California, Merced's Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center has embarked on an innovative partnership with researchers at the university who track an entire community's health and habits with samples of human sewage.

11 Feb 2025

Global study reveals diversity in healthy vaginal microbiomes

Seeking to understand what constitutes a healthy vaginal microbiome, a global research collaboration that includes a Rutgers-New Brunswick scientist has reported a series of findings, including identifying which bacteria thwart vaginal disease and determining that microbiomes vary significantly across human populations.

11 Feb 2025

Nanoscale plastic particles enhance toxin uptake in plants and human cells

Micro- and nanoscale plastic particles in soil and water can significantly increase how much toxic chemicals plants and human intestinal cells absorb, according to two new studies from Rutgers Health that raise fresh concerns about food safety from plastic pollution.

11 Feb 2025

Short-course, higher dose vaginal brachytherapy for endometrial cancer shown to be effective

In a randomized clinical trial, researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) have found that short-course, higher dose vaginal brachytherapy for endometrial cancer had similar effectiveness to more frequent, lower dose sessions.

11 Feb 2025

New light-sensitive chemicals show promise for treating aggressive breast cancers

Scientists have developed new light-sensitive chemicals that can radically improve the treatment of aggressive cancers with minimal side effects.

11 Feb 2025

Study shows a clear causal relationship between gut microbiota and vagal nerve activity

A new study in an animal model provides direct evidence for the role of the vagus nerve in gut microbiome-brain communication, addressing a critical gap in the field.

11 Feb 2025

UVA launches trial to test AI-powered device for diabetes management

For people living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), keeping blood sugar levels in check is a constant challenge.

11 Feb 2025

Air pollution harms cognition just hours after exposure, study finds

New research shows that inhaling polluted air for just an hour can impair cognitive abilities like attention and emotional recognition within four hours, highlighting the urgent need for cleaner air policies.

11 Feb 2025

Study challenges belief that vaping leads to youth smoking

A team of public health researchers found "very low-certainty evidence" to support a commonly held belief that nicotine vaping is a gateway to cigarette smoking for young people.

11 Feb 2025

Gut microbes influence how well cancer patients respond to immunotherapy

Researchers discovered that gut microbiota-derived hexa-acylated LPS enhances the effectiveness of anti-PD-1 cancer immunotherapy, while penta-acylated LPS may suppress immune responses.

11 Feb 2025

Broccoli sprouts may help prediabetes, but only with the right gut bacteria

Broccoli sprout extract (BSE) modestly lowered fasting blood glucose in prediabetes, but its effectiveness depended on gut microbiota, particularly the BT2160 operon.

11 Feb 2025

Alzheimer’s escape: How one man defied his genetic fate for nearly two decades

A groundbreaking study reveals how a rare combination of genetics, proteomics, and environmental factors may hold the key to delaying or preventing Alzheimer's, challenging long-held assumptions about the disease.

11 Feb 2025

One shot to lower cholesterol for life? Scientists unlock a groundbreaking gene therapy

Researchers developed an epigenetic editing approach to silence the PCSK9 gene, achieving long-term cholesterol reduction without altering DNA, offering a potential one-time treatment for high cholesterol.

11 Feb 2025

Study explores why newborns regenerate heart tissue better than adults

Newborns with heart complications can rely on their newly developed immune systems to regenerate cardiac tissues, but adults aren't so lucky.

11 Feb 2025

Innovative brain tumor model offers hope for personalized cancer treatments

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and ShanghaiTech University have developed an innovative method for growing brain tumors of individual patients in the laboratory that mimic the original structure and the molecular property of the parental tumor as closely as possible.

11 Feb 2025

Physical activity improves sleep quality in older adults during social isolation

A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) on January 15, 2025, in Volume 17, Issue 1, titled "Association between physical activity practice and sleep quality of older people in social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and Health Guidelines and future studies for the post-COVID period: a systematic review."

11 Feb 2025

Lung signals trigger blood clot formation in cancer patients

Blood clots form in response to signals from the lungs of cancer patients—not from other organ sites, as previously thought—according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and University of California San Diego Health. Clots are the second-leading cause of death among cancer patients with advanced disease or aggressive tumors.

11 Feb 2025

Diabetes medications may help lower COPD flare-up risk, study finds

The study reveals SGLT-2is are linked to fewer COPD exacerbations in type 2 diabetes, suggesting a need for further clinical trials to confirm these findings.

11 Feb 2025