Medical News

RSS

Therapeutic targets that impact both cardiac and cerebral functions in CNS neurological disorders

Recent advancements highlight the intricate interplay between the heart and brain, underscoring their profound influence on each other, especially concerning central nervous system (CNS) neurological disorders.

7 Aug 2024

Novel blood test could predict chronic lung disease in preterm babies within hours of birth

A blood test can help predict which preterm babies will go onto develop chronic lung disease, allowing for earlier diagnosis and more targeted treatments, according to a new study.

7 Aug 2024

KAUST researchers uncover LINE-1 RNA’s role in triggering bone repair

Around half of the human genome is composed of DNA fragments originating from ancient viruses. These "transposable elements" (TEs) are now known to play various roles in modulating gene expression and disease development.

7 Aug 2024

Current challenges in defining, measuring, and treating MS-related fatigue

Kessler Foundation research scientist John DeLuca, PhD, has published a significant clinical article in Journal of Neurology, shedding light on the elusive nature of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its implications for treatment.

7 Aug 2024

Discovery of Tr1 cells as a barrier to cancer immunotherapy offers new hope for treatment

Immunobiologists Robert Schreiber, PhD, (left) and Hussein Sultan, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, found that a subset of immune cells that normally puts the brakes on the immune system to prevent it from attacking the body's healthy cells inadvertently also dampens cancer immunotherapy.

7 Aug 2024

New research uncovers mechanisms behind heart damage from CTLA-4 blockade

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is a protein receptor on T immune cells that prevents the cells from killing other cells, such as cancer cells.

7 Aug 2024

NIH study reveals racial and gender disparities in survival rates from bystander CPR

A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported study has found race- and sex-based differences in the increased chances of survival from people who received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

7 Aug 2024

NUS study finds 5-HTP enhances sleep quality and gut health in older adults

National University of Singapore (NUS) nutritionists have found that 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) supplementation can improve sleep quality in Singaporean older adults, particularly in individuals with poor sleep patterns, and manage their gut microbiome composition.

7 Aug 2024

From discovery to approval: Vorasidenib approved by FDA for treatment of IDH-mutant gliomas

A new drug for treatment of a type of brain cancer, called IDH-mutant low-grade glioma, was approved Aug. 6 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

7 Aug 2024

Social media bans could deny teenagers mental health help

Social media's effects on the mental health of young people are not well understood. That hasn't stopped Congress, state legislatures, and the U.S. surgeon general from moving ahead with age bans and warning labels for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

7 Aug 2024

Small-town patients face big hurdles as rural hospitals cut cancer care

The night before her chemotherapy, Herlinda Sanchez sets out her clothes and checks that she has everything she needs: a blanket, medications, an iPad and chargers, a small Bible and rosary, fuzzy socks, and snacks for the road.

7 Aug 2024

Hospital discharges linked to higher MRSA risk for family members

Family members of patients recently discharged from the hospital may have a higher risk of getting an antibiotic-resistant infection, often called a superbug, even if the patient was not diagnosed with the same infection, suggesting hospitals play a role in the community spread of resistant bacteria, according to study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

7 Aug 2024

New ear EEG earbuds monitor brain waves to combat workplace drowsiness

Everyone gets sleepy at work from time to time, especially after a big lunch. But for people whose jobs involve driving or working with heavy machinery, drowsiness can be extremely dangerous - if not outright deadly.

7 Aug 2024

The evolving nature of infant-caregiver communication

Compared to other mammals, human children are dependent on their caregivers for a remarkably long time. Throughout the ages, they have developed "psychological tactics" to endear themselves to adults and thus enhance their chances of survival. This prolonged dependency is believed to have driven the evolution of complex signaling mechanisms to help infants attract and maintain adult attention.

7 Aug 2024

Understanding the age gap in leukemia survival rates

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) affects both children and adults, but children have better chances to be cured, with long-term survival rates over 85% compared to 50-75% in adults. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital conducted a comprehensive study to understand the biological causes driving this difference. The work, published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, provides a blueprint for understanding B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the most common form of the disease.

7 Aug 2024

METRNL protein identified as key player in cancer progression

A protein called Meteorin-like (METRNL) in the tumor microenvironment saps energy from T cells, thereby severely limiting their ability to fight cancer, according to new research directed by investigators at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Finding ways to block the effects of METRNL signaling on tumor-infiltrating T cells may allow these immune cells to regain the energy necessary to eliminate tumors.

7 Aug 2024

Surgery improves long-term outcomes for T-OPLL

Thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (TOPLL) is a rare condition associated with ectopic bone formation in the thoracic spine.

7 Aug 2024

Study highlights the need for language services in cancer trials

Underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minority populations in cancer clinical trials persists partly because translation and interpretation services and resources are unavailable or inadequate in the United States, according to a Children's Oncology Group (COG) study led by Columbia University School of Nursing. The updated study was published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Cancer Spectrum on July 25, 2024, and will appear in the August 2024 journal issue.

7 Aug 2024

Study advances understanding of complex neurological disorder

To effectively treat a disease or disorder, doctors must first know the root cause. Such is the case for developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), whose root causes can be hugely complex and heterogeneous. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrated the value of DNA methylation patterns for identifying the root cause of DEEs, showing specific gene methylation and genome-wide methylation "episignatures" can help identify the genes that cause DEE. The findings were published today in Nature Communications.

7 Aug 2024

Researchers uncover immune system barrier to cancer treatment

By recruiting the immune system to combat tumor cells, immunotherapy has improved survival rates, offering hope to millions of cancer patients. However, only about one in five people responds favorably to these treatments.

7 Aug 2024